Ticket divides party into 3 factions Zahedul Alam to run independent

Courtesy: The Daily Star, Dhaka, www.thedailystar.net

Thursday, November 20, 2008
National

Ticket divides party into 3 factions
Zahedul Alam to run independent
O
ur Correspondent, Khagrachhari

Khagrachhari Awami League has been divided into three factions following nomination of district AL president Jatindra Lal Tripura tyo contest the upcoming Jatiya Sangsad election.

Party men opposed to Jatindra burst into angry protests. They hoisted black flags atop party offices in Khagrachhari and held a protest meeting in front of the party office in the hill town protesting nomination of Jatindra.

They said a large number of party men will resign from party under the leadership of Zahedul Alam and Kujendra if the decision is not changed.

Of the three factions, one is led by district AL secretary Zahidul Alam and the other by vice-president Kujendra Lal Tripura. Both the factions have rejected central AL's decision. The faction led by Zatindra is a minority one, party sources said.

Zahidul, who collected nomination paper earlier, yesterday declared that he would contest as an independent candidate, the sources said.

The party at a meeting earlier suggested the name of Kujendra as a nominee.

He also alleged that Jitendra has no acceptance in his own community let alone others.

District AL press secretary Abdul Momin told this correspondent that the AL decision has disappointed party leaders and activists. In voting for selection, Zatindra got the lowest 30 votes out of 132 at the party meeting held on November 8.