NOAKHALI, Jan 30: Eighteen BNP leaders and activists, including Senbagh Upazila BNP Joint Convener Jahangir Hossain Chowdhury and Dr Nazrul Islam Faruk, have been expelled for conducting electioneering in favour of independent (rebel) candidate Kazi Mofizur Rahman in Noakhali-2 (covering Senbagh and part of Sonaimuri).
District BNP Convener Mahbub Alamgir Alo confirmed the expulsions around 4:30pm on Wednesday. Earlier on Tuesday, the party's senior joint secretary general Advocate Ruhul Kabir Rizvi issued a press release announcing the decision.
Among those expelled are BNP leaders Advocate Sakhawat Ullah Liton, Momin Ullah Chairman, Mirza Md Solaiman, Moazzem Hossain Selim, Golam Hossain Khondkar, upazila BNP member Obaidul Haque Chairman, Abul Kalam Azad, Nuruzzaman Chowdhury, Abu Zaher Chowdhury Zafar, Shahedul Karim Maruf, Master Dalilur Rahman, Senbagh municipal BNP joint convener Kamal Uddin Bablu, Rezaul Haque Helal, Tajul Islam Ratan, municipal BNP member Mohiuddin Commissioner, and Shahid Ullah Helal.
Reacting to the decision, expelled joint convener Jahangir Hossain Chowdhury said, "We are not against the party, we are against the candidate. Kazi Mofiz stood by the leaders and activists during tough times, so we are with him now. The party expelled our candidate first, and now us. We have only heard of the expulsion, but no written notice has reached us yet."
District BNP Convener Mahbub Alamgir Alo added that the move came following directives from the central leadership, as the expelled members did not support the party's official candidate.
