Internal Rift Deepens in Sunamganj BNP as Brother of MP Nasir Chowdhury Defies Section 144 to Hold Rival Rally
Photo Collected
DIRAI, Sunamganj — Tensions within the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in the Sunamganj-2 constituency escalated on Saturday as Masuk Chowdhury, a local party leader, defied a Section 144 order to hold a political rally just one day after a separate event led by his brother, incumbent Member of Parliament Nasir Chowdhury.
The rally, held in the Baganbari area of Dirai municipality to mark the two-year anniversary of the July uprising, saw Masuk Chowdhury publicly criticize his brother. Masuk, who serves as the joint convener of the Upazila BNP, stated that the event was organized to “liberate” the MP from a corrupt “syndicate” that he claims has surrounded him. Nasir Chowdhury, a former central party leader, has represented the Dirai-Shalla constituency for four decades, a tenure during which he previously campaigned against corruption.
The public discord between the brothers has widened significantly since Nasir Chowdhury assumed his parliamentary seat. In a gathering held at Thana Point last Thursday, the MP distanced himself from his brother, declaring he was “alone” and alleging that his residence had been seized. He further dismissed the criticisms against him as false propaganda spread by individuals frustrated by their inability to engage in corruption.
Responding to these claims, Masuk Chowdhury alleged that the MP is currently being held captive by remnants of the previous fascist regime who are operating under the guise of BNP affiliation. He accused these individuals of looting public funds through fraudulent projects and warned that further irregularities, particularly in the distribution of family cards, would lead to the downfall of the current local leadership. Masuk maintained his loyalty to his brother, stating that the intention of the rally was to protect the integrity of the party and the reputation of the party’s leadership.
The event, moderated by Dirai municipal BNP member secretary Iqbal Chowdhury, featured speeches from several local party officials and former freedom fighters. However, loyalists of Nasir Chowdhury refused to recognize the gathering as an official BNP event. Humayun Kabir Talukdar, another joint convener of the Upazila BNP, stated that supporters of the MP did not attend because Nasir Chowdhury was absent.
The buildup to the rally was marked by significant unrest. Following rival processions on Friday night and a tense standoff at Thana Point on Saturday morning, the local administration imposed Section 144 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to prevent violence.
Dirai Upazila Nirbahi Officer Sanjib Sarker confirmed that the administrative order was in place but noted that authorities ultimately chose not to disperse the crowd once the rally began. He described the situation as having returned to normal following the initial morning tensions, despite the large influx of participants at the Baganbari site.
0%
0%
0%
0%
