Bagmara MP 'fuelling militancy, party feud'
The ruling Awami League leaders of Bagmara upazila at a press conference in Rajshahi city yesterday alleged that local lawmaker Enamul Haque was involved in fuelling intra-party feud and patronising members of banned militant outfits and communist outlawed groups.
Reading out a written statement at the conference in the city's Master Chef restaurant, Abdus Sobhan, former president of Bagmara upazila AL unit, alleged many identified terrorists of militant outfits and communist outlawed groups had recently unleashed terror in the upazila under the patronisation of the lawmaker.
AL leaders and common people are not feeling safe under the circumstances.
The lawmaker of Rajshahi-4 constituency (Bagmara) supported his chosen candidates against the party-nominated candidates in the last UP elections, resulting in internal feud in the party. In clashes among different groups, at least two people were killed in the recent past, Sobhan alleged.
The AL leaders are being forced to follow the lawmaker, or else being harassed with false cases, he alleged, demanding removal of the officer-in-charge of Bagmara Police Station for saving the party leaders from the wrath of the lawmaker.
Abdus Sobhan alleged that they had attempted to file cases against the lawmaker, but the police refused to record those.
Allegations were also made that lawmaker Enamul misappropriated different funds and were involved in employment trade at different educational institutions in the upazila.
Sobhan said they also had sent the complaints to AL central office.
Other complainants include: Zakirul Islam, Upazila Parishad chairman and upazila AL general secretary; Abul Kalam Azad, chairman of Taherpur municipality; and three UP chairmen -- Mokbul Hossain Mridha, Mostafa Kamal and Alamgir Sarker.
Contacted, Enamul Haque refuted the allegations. He said, “All the allegations are baseless. They raised these with an ulterior motive to tarnish my image before the next general election; but they will not succeed”.
“No terrorist activity could take place in Bagmara in the last several years. All the terrorists were brought to book during my time. The present Bagmara is a peaceful Bagmara,” claimed the lawmaker.
The lawmaker, also the president of Bagmara upazila AL unit, said most of the complainants are office bearers of the local committee.
“I held meetings with the party leaders every month. None of them [complainants] raised these allegations in any party forum. They cannot take the matter outside before raising the issues in the party forums,” said the MP.
He added that he had brought the matter to the attention of party high-ups.
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