Chhatra Dal faction locks BNP central office

Protesting the age limit in BNP’s charter, a faction of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) locked the party’s central office in Nayapaltan yesterday.

Around 11am, several hundred leaders and activists of the recently-dissolved JCD central committee gathered in front of the party office and started demonstrating, according to witnesses. At one stage, members of the pro-BNP student organisation locked the main gate and continued their agitation.

Protesters chanted slogans, seeking cancellation of the age cap, and also demanded that the decision to dissolve the committee be annulled.

They said they wanted BNP to form a short-term JCD committee, without any age ceiling.

The JCD faction continued their demonstration till filing of this report at 8pm.

The previous committee of Chhatra Dal was annulled on June 3 through a press release signed by BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rzivi. The release also added that in order to be included in the Chhatra Dal committee, a candidate must pass SSC or equivalent examination after 2000.

The protesting JCD leaders and activists claimed that such a decision was taken to bring forth “favourite candidates of the syndicate”.

Meanwhile, when some former JCD leaders, including Shamsuzzaman Dudu, Amanullah Aman, Fazlul Haq Milon, Shaheeduddin Chowdhury Annie, ABM Mosharraf Hossain and Shafiul Bari Babu went to the spot, protestors locked in an argument with them and barred them from entering.

Rizvi and some other BNP leaders were inside the office.

The JCD committee was formed in 2014 with 153 members, including Rajib Ahsan as president and Akramul Hasan as general secretary. A full-fledged committee was formed later, which also created discontent among JCD activists.