The Chattogram district unit BNP has long been dependent on convening committees instead of fully elected leadership in its three key branches – metropolitan, south and north – mainly due to internal conflict.
Party sources said internal disputes, factionalism and leadership rivalry have created a major barrier to forming full committees, weakening the party’s organisational strength ahead of the national election slated for February 2026.
Metropolitan BNP
The full committee of Chattogram city unit BNP was formed with 278 members in 2016, following the formation of a three-member interim committee in 2016. Shahadat Hossain and Abul Hashem Bakkar were president and general secretary of the committee respectively. But since then, repeated attempts were made to restructure the committee.
In December 2020, a 39-member convening committee was announced, but the process of forming thana and ward committees was suspended in 2021. The panel was dissolved in June 2024. In July, a two-member partial convening committee was formed with Ershadullah as convener and former student leader Nazimur Rahman as member secretary.
A senior city BNP leader told TIMES of Bangladesh that reliance on conveners for such a long period has disrupted the party’s organisational activities and fuelled discontent among the grassroots activists.
Ctg South District BNP
The south district unit BNP had an elected leadership in 2009 with former state minister Jafrul Islam Chowdhury as president and Sheikh Mohammad Mohiuddin as general secretary. Later, the committee was restructured in 2011.
After years of stagnation, the committee was dissolved in 2019 and a 61-member convening body led by Abu Sufian and Mostaq Ahmed was formed. But this panel became inactive amid controversy.
In September 2024, the committee was dissolved amid the allegations that some leaders assisted in removing vehicles belonging to S Alam Group.
The party’s high-ups suspended several leaders, including Abu Sufian, though the suspension order was later withdrawn after they submitted explanations.
The party unit remained leaderless for five months until February 2025, when a partial five-member committee was announced with Idris Mia as convener and Helal Uddin as member secretary.
Local leaders say prolonged reliance on conveners has deepened factionalism, distracted leaders with personal influence-building, and slowed the execution of central decisions.
Ctg North District BNP
In the north, the elected leadership dated back to 2010, when Giasuddin Quader Chowdhury and Aslam Chowdhury were president general secretary. By 2014 the committee was dissolved and replaced by a two-member convening committee led by Aslam.
The central committee later expanded the unit committee with 72 members. But Aslam’s arrest on treason charges in 2016 and the death of member secretary Abdullah Al Hasan in 2018 made it paralysed.
In 2020, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced a 44-member convening body with Golam Akbar Khondaker as convener. That was also dissolved in July 2024 after violent factional clashes. At the same time, Quader Chowdhury’s position as BNP vice-chairman was suspended.
North district BNP leaders now say years of infighting have slowed down political activities, and the absence of a permanent structure continues to hold them back even as the national election is nearing.
Party constitution vs practice
BNP’s charter requires each metropolitan council to elect an executive committee of up to 151 members for a two-year term. Ward-to-metropolitan structures are supposed to include elected presidents, vice-presidents, treasurers and secretaries, with at least 10% female representation. Similarly, district councils are mandated to elect full committees for two-year terms.
But in Chattogram, none of the three units has followed this path for over a decade. Instead, dissolutions, partial committees and ad-hoc conveners have become the norm.
Central reaction
BNP Organising Secretary Mahbube Rahman Shamim told TIMES of Bangladesh that the party has been unable to hold councils because “the fascist government” had blocked the process. “Without elections, we could not form full committees,” he said.
He added that preparations are now underway to hold councils and elect permanent committees. “The north district unit has now no committee. A full committee will be formed through a council,” Shamim said.
