Faridpur leader quits BNP on 'ideological grounds'

Shahriar Rumi, a central executive committee member of BNP and vice president of its Faridpur district unit, resigned from all posts of the party yesterday on "ideological grounds".

He said he would rejoin the ruling Awami League, of which he had been a member of a sub-committee of the central committee till 2001. He joined AL in 1991 and left the party in 2002.

"I quit all posts of BNP of my own accord, as I believe that we, all pro-liberation forces, have to be united under the banner of the ruling Awami League under present circumstances,” Rumi told The Daily Star hours after his resignation.

Rumi's resignation came 17 days after BNP Vice-Chairman Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury resigned, creating mixed reactions in and outside the party.

The party is yet to decide on Mobin as BNP chief Khaleda Zia is now in London for treatment. Rumi said though there were some pro-liberation people in BNP,  AL  upheld the Liberation War spirit.

"Addressing the party chief Khaleda Zia, I couriered my resignation letter to her Gulshan office and to the party's Nayapaltan central office this afternoon," he added. "I am thankful to madam (Khaleda Zia) since she made me an executive committee member of her party with due respect but I resigned on ideological grounds.”

Later, Rumi sent a press release to media offices on BNP's official letterhead where he said his father Shamsuddin Molla, a lawyer, was a founder member of AL and member of the constitution making committee. Rumi was a general secretary of Bangladesh Chhatra League, the release added.

Rumi said he participated in the 2001 general election from Faridpur-5 constituency as an independent candidate after being denied the AL ticket.

“On the face of attacks carried out on my followers by the then AL lawmaker Kazi Zafarullah's men, I joined BNP [in 2002]," said Rumi, adding that the decision was wrong.

Asked when he would join AL, he said it would take some time.

However, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina directed her party leaders on November 7 not to welcome anyone from BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami to the ruling party cautioning that these elements would create intra-party conflicts after joining.

Rumi said he got nomination from BNP in the 2007 election, which was cancelled due to political unrest. BNP spokesman Ripon told The Daily Star that they did not get any letter from Rumi yet. Seeking anonymity, a BNP leader said Rumi might have been aggrieved and resigned because the local committees of Faridpur were formed without his men. He hoped that Rumi would change his decision.