Expatriate Welfare Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury withdraws from Sylhet Development Authority inauguration amid reports of internal political friction

The formal inauguration of the Sylhet Development Authority (SDA) scheduled for Tuesday has been overshadowed by internal political tensions, following a last-minute adjustment to the itinerary of Expatriates’ Welfare Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury.

The minister, who was initially listed to attend the inaugural ceremony, withdrew from the event just hours after his schedule was officially confirmed. While his office attributed the change to pressing commitments in Dhaka and a subsequent meeting in Sunamganj, the development has fueled speculation regarding a long-standing rivalry within the local Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

Sources within the party suggest that the withdrawal stems from a perceived lack of appropriate protocol and status afforded to Minister Chowdhury on the event’s invitation list. This incident has brought the deepening friction between Minister Chowdhury and Commerce Minister Khondokar Abdul Muqtadir back into the public eye.

The event, set to take place at the Sylhet District Council auditorium, is slated to feature Commerce Minister Khondokar Abdul Muqtadir as the chief guest and Housing and Public Works Minister Zakaria Taher as the inaugural speaker. The invitation also lists several other high-ranking officials as special guests, including State Minister for Housing and Public Works Ahmed Sohel Manzur, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir, and other prominent local figures. Rezaul Hasan Qoyes Lodi, the chairman of the SDA, is scheduled to preside over the function.

Minister Chowdhury, when asked about his absence, denied any political motive. He stated that urgent parliamentary business in Dhaka and a prior commitment in the distant district of Sunamganj regarding safe migration made his attendance at the Sylhet event logistically impossible.

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However, the rapid revision of his official travel itinerary—sent by his private secretary Bijon Kumar Singha—has sparked skepticism. The first itinerary, issued at 3:50 p.m. on Sunday, explicitly included the SDA event. A revised version, sent at 9:05 p.m. that same evening, omitted the engagement entirely.

Observers of local politics note that the BNP in Sylhet is divided into two distinct factions led by the two ministers. Tensions have reportedly escalated since the change in government, as both camps vie for control over local administrative influence. The rivalry intensified following the last national election, during which Minister Chowdhury had initially sought the nomination for the Sylhet-1 constituency, only to be placed in the Sylhet-4 seat, while Khondokar Abdul Muqtadir secured the candidacy for the former.

SDA Chairman Rezaul Hasan Qoyes Lodi, who is considered an ally of Khondokar Abdul Muqtadir, insisted that protocol had been followed correctly. He maintained that he personally visited the ministry to invite Minister Chowdhury and was under the impression until recently that the minister would participate in the ceremony.