Rajshahi BNP is rife with differences between Mayor Mosaddek Hossain Bulbul and former mayor Mizanur Rahman Minu since Bulbul was neither made general secretary of the city BNP nor president of the city Jubo Dal recently.
Soon after a press release revealed on Saturday night that a 169-member city Jubo Dal committee was formed, without Bulbul, 70 of his loyalists resigned immediately, while 50 more have tendered resignation letters to Minu, the new city BNP president.
Bulbul, who had headed the city Jubo Dal before being elected Rajshahi city mayor in June last year, was made a vice president of the city BNP.
Sahanul Islam, who resigned as senior vice president of the new city Jubo Dal, told The Daily Star that they demanded that Bulbul be made general secretary of the city BNP or be retained as president of the city Jubo Dal. “It (the new committee) is a conspiracy against the mayor to keep him out of politics,” he said.
Sahanul also alleged that at least 20 businessmen were made leaders of the city Jubo Dal, including general secretary Abul Hasnain Hikol, neglecting politicians.
Mayor Bulbul declined to comment because of his "illness".
The division between Bulbul and Minu, who supported Bulbul in his mayoral bid, surfaced as the latter "interfered in the city politics too much", said BNP insiders, while Bulbul funded the anti-government movement and supported activists involved in it.  
The lists of the new city Jubo Dal and city BNP committees were signed by BNP office secretary Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on August 19 and faxed to Rajshahi later, said Minu.
The Jubo Dal committee was overhauled with Waliul Haque Rana as president and Hikol as general secretary, both known as loyalists of Minu.  
On the other hand, changes were made to only three posts in the city BNP. Aslam Sarker was made organising secretary and Abdullah Al Mahmud Salam and Mainul Islam were made joint convenors. Shafiqul Islam Milon was made general secretary.
Since the committees were revealed on Saturday, Bulbul loyalists have been staging demonstrations before Minu's house in Bhadra.
Minu, also joint secretary general of central BNP, said, “There is no dispute with Bulbul, as he is my brother.” He said, “Only tested and dedicated leaders were selected in the committees; there is nothing wrong in it.”