Gonojagoron Mancha feud reaches peak

A group of pro-Awami League activists at a press conference under the banner of Gonojagoron Mancha yesterday “relieved” Imran H Sarkar of his duties as spokesperson of the platform campaigning for maximum punishment of war criminals.

The conference was held right at the place where the media cell of the Mancha used to sit -- in front of the National Museum at Shahbagh.

Unlike other Mancha programmes, it was not attended by Imran H Sarkar.

A statement read out at the press conference said a five-member panel will soon be announced and it will speak on behalf of the platform. Any statement of Imran will no longer be regarded as Mancha’s.

Without naming Imran, the statement read that decisions made by a certain person caused rifts inside the platform.

"Gonojagoron Mancha's mandate is not to organise political programmes or make comments indiscriminately. It does not go with the spirit of the platform. However, we were surprised to see a few persons doing these things," it read. 

The statement was read out by Kamal Pasha Chowdhury, a cultural activist who claimed to be an active member of Gonojagoron Mancha, which spearheaded the Shahbagh movement beginning February last year.  

Kamal Pasha reportedly sought Awami League nomination for Netrakona (Mohonganj) constituency in January 5 polls.

He told The Daily Star yesterday that he knew Imran even before the Shahbagh movement as both of them were in Awami League media cell's sub-committee from 1998 to 2012.

Contacted, Imran said those who organised the press conference were not involved with the Mancha actively. “They were not seen in any meeting of Mancha for the last one year.”

He added, "I was made the spokesperson to oversee that not single student body can influence the movement. As a result, many were dissatisfied with my decisions."

Azad Abul Kalam, president of Gourab Ekattur, a pro-AL socio-cultural organisation, along with its General Secretary FM Shahin was present at yesterday's press conference.

Kalam was AL leader Amir Hossain Amu's assistant personal secretary in 1996-2001 and Shahin sought AL ticket for Narail-1 constituency in the last parliamentary election.

Five other persons introducing themselves as AL's central sub-committee members were also present at the press conference.

Kamal Pasha told this correspondent that he had talked with 205 student bodies and socio-cultural organisations about expelling Imran but not all of them agreed.

Yesterday’s conference came amid feuds between Imran supporters and pro-government organisations.

The Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), a pro-AL student wing, stopped attending the meetings of the Mancha, from March 26, 2013, following a disagreement over decision to march towards the Prime Minister’s Office for not banning Jamaat-e-Islami as per an ultimatum.

Groups like Gourab Ekattur and Muktijoddha Sangsad Sontan Command, whose members were also involved in the movement, stopped attending Imran-led activities in April 2013.

The two organisations have raised an allegation of fund embezzlement against Imran.  

On April 3, a clash took place between Imran's supporters and Muktijoddha Sangsad Sontan Command, another pro-AL organisation.

In his immediate reaction, Imran called the incident “an attack on Mancha activists” and claimed BCL and Jubo League men were behind this.

The next day, at a press briefing, FM Shahin alleged Imran personally took money from different organisations at a temporary office room in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU).

On April 8, amid news reports that Imran wants to float a political party, five student organisations through a press conference said Gonojagoron Mancha cannot be used for fulfilling any individual's ambition and goals. 

Bappadittyo Basu, president of Biplobi Chhatra Moitree, on behalf of the student bodies complained that Imran had resorted to “undemocratic” and “unethical” practices.

Imran refutes all the allegations.

Regarding fund embezzlement allegations, Imran said that different people at different times kept account of the funds that came in the first few days of movement.

But an announcement was made later asking people not to give money to any individuals rather donate whatever they wanted at the media cell.

Talking to The Daily Star yesterday, Bappadittyo said, "This faction [which organised yesterday’s press conference] had a meeting with us [student bodies] on April 8 regarding Imran's expulsion. But we did not agree."

Baki Billah, former Bangladesh Students' Union president who has been involved with the movement, said had any organisation given money to Imran, it would have asked for a report about the fund use.

He thins the government now considers the Mancha as a nuisance since the trial of the war criminals is not longer its priority.

"Government's stance regarding the movement has changed," he said.

The Mancha's demand to ban Jamaat-e-Islami would mobilise public opinion against Jamaat and create unnecessary pressure on the government. The government does not want this, he said.

According to Awami League presidium member Nooh-ul-Alam Lenin, the historical necessity of the movement has ended after the amendment of tribunal act.

"They [the Mancha activists] should have gone back home and gather again when need be," he said.

The Shahbagh movement began after Jamaat leader Quader Mollah walked out of court, flashing a V-sign, being sentenced to life on February 5 last year.  

It triggered widespread outrage, drawing thousands of youths to the capital’s Shahbagh intersection to protest what they deemed a sentence too lenient for a man nicknamed the “Butcher of Mirpur” for his brutalities in 1971.

The gathering of youths at Shahbagh soon turned into a never-seen-before mass movement, which prompted the government to amend International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, 1973 to give the state the right to appeal on behalf of the war crimes victims. Before the amendment on February 17, the state could appeal only against an acquittal.

Gonojagoron Mancha formed to lead the Shahbagh movement was initially comprised of all pro-liberation student bodies, individuals, cultural organisations and online activists.

Since then, it has been pressing for maximum punishment to war crimes trial and a ban on Jamaat-e-Islami on charges of war crimes committed during the Liberation War 1971.

Imran, a less known face and former BCL activist of Rangpur Medical College, was made the spokesperson.