The five-member 'probe committee' was formed at an emergency meeting of the party faction led by lawmaker M Nurul Islam Thursday night, said a party press release yesterday. It will submit its report by August 10.

The meeting, held at the party office, was presided over by Nurul Islam, former president of Khulna city BNP and a founding member.

Headed by Ward Commissioner Moniruzzaman Moni, the probe committee includes ward commissioners Anwarul Kadir Khokon and Abu Salek and lawyers Fazle Halim Liton and Golam Mawla.

Forming of a committee to probe into allegations of corruption and nepotism against city Mayor has already taken a new turn aggravating the situation arising out of sharp intraparty rivalry in Khulna BNP.

Khulna city BNP is divided into two factions, one led by lawmaker Nurul Islam and Nurul Islam Monju and the other by Mayor Shaikh Tayebur Rahman and lawmaker Ali Asghat Lobi.

Party men loyal to Nurul Islam at Thursday's meeting demanded immediate dissolution of the city BNP convening committee and arrest of those who attacked members of law enforcing agencies at KD Ghose road and Sir Iqbal road on Wednesday during a rally by the Lobi faction.

Lawmaker Lobi was among at least 100 people injured in Wednesday's clashes with law enforcers.

The two rival factions earlier planned to hold rallies at Moharaja square in the city on Wednesday as part of BNP's countrywide programme to protest 'anarchy' by opposition parties in the name of realising electoral reforms. As the administration imposed restriction on holding rallies there fearing clash, the two factions held their programmes at two other venues in the city.

Speakers at Thursday's meeting of Nurul Islam loyalists said activists loyal to Lobi defied a ban on holding a rally and attacked law enforcers including BDR men.

They demanded arrest of member-secretary of Khulna city BNP convening committee Md Shaharuzzaman Martuza for leading the attackers.

Mortuza has no right to retain even primary membership of BNP and the post of president of Khulna Chamber of commerce and Indystry as he is the principal chargesheeted accused in CPB leader Ratan Sen murder case, Nurul Islam told the meeting.

Meanwhile, OC Abdul Hamid of Khulna thana filed a general diary on Thursday accusing Martuza and some other BNP activists belonging to the Lobi-Mayor faction for 'instigating unruly activists to attack police'.

Top leaders of the Lobi-Mayor faction reacted sharply to the move by their rivals. They termed formation of a probe committee an 'exposure of insanity' by a group of 'misguided men discarded by BNP long ago'.

Mayor Shaikh Tayebur Rahman could not contacted for comment as he is under treatment in Dhaka. Lobi, also being treated for leg injuries he suffered during Wednesday's clashes, declined to make any comment.

Talking to this correspondent, Martuza alleged that a group of 'miscreants' loyal to Nurul Islam attacked police to foil Lobi faction's rally on Wednesday.

Lobi, at a press conference on Tuesday accused Nurul Islam of 'leading a group of misguided elements who are involved in anti-social activities including rampant toll collection in the name of BNP.