The office of the BNP Chattogram north district unit, located on the third floor of Nasimon Bhaban in the Kazir Dewri area of the port city, has remained largely inactive for a prolonged period.
For nearly nine months, the key organisational unit has had neither an effective committee nor any visible activities. As a result, frustration and uncertainty are steadily growing among leaders and activists of the unit, which was once active and influential on the streets.
Although the notice dissolving the previous committee mentioned the swift formation of a new convening committee, no such body has been formed even after nine months, leaving the organisational activities of BNP Chattogram north district stalled.
On 29 July 2025, an attack took place on the motorcade of then convener of BNP Chattogram north district Golam Akbar Khandakar.
The incident brought internal rifts within the party to the fore, with allegations raised against followers of BNP central committee then vice-chairman and current member of parliament for the Raozan constituency Gias Uddin Quader Chowdhury.
Following the incident, the central BNP, later that night, announced the dissolution of the Chattogram north district convening committee.
In a statement signed by party Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, assurance was given that a new convening committee would be formed swiftly.
However, nine months have passed since that announcement, but no new committee has yet been formed.
As a result, the large organisational unit—comprising seven upazilas of Chattogram north district, namely Mirsarai, Fatikchhari, Sandwip, Sitakunda, Hathazari, Raozan and Rangunia—remains without leadership.
Former convener Golam Akbar Khandakar declined to comment on the matter. “I will not make any comment regarding the north district committee,” he told TIMES of Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, grassroots leaders and activists, who have long been active on the streets, have demanded the prompt announcement of a new committee.
They believed that leadership should be selected from among those who played active roles in past movements and struggles and remained loyal to the party despite various adversities.
Sandwip upazila BNP convener and former joint convener of BNP Chattogram north district Abu Taher said, “If those who played leading roles in street movements in the past and implemented party decisions despite facing cases and attacks are brought into top positions, the organisation will become stronger.”
On 22 December 2020, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced a 44-member convening committee, appointing Golam Akbar Khandakar as convener.
At the time, the committee did not include the posts of member secretary or joint convener. Later, nine members were included as joint conveners from within the committee. However, the committee failed to resolve internal conflicts, with divisions instead becoming more pronounced.
The party’s central leaders later instructed that the convening committee should coordinate its activities with Chattogram Divisional Organising Secretary Mahbubur Rahman.
In practice, however, that directive was not reflected, further deepening stagnation in organisational activities.
Overall, as a new committee for BNP Chattogram north district has not been formed even after nine months, organisational activities have become stagnant.
Those concerned fear that if new leadership is not announced promptly, the activities of the unit may face further setbacks.
