8 BCL men expelled over grabbing book fair shops

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Saturday, 04 February 2012

Author / Source : GALIB ASHRAF

DHAKA, FEB 3: A rift in Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) central committee came to light following a clash between two factions on Thursday night over possession of illegal makeshift shops adjacent to the entrance of Bangla Academy Book fair. The BCL expelled eight of its DU unit activists and issued show cause notices to two central leaders on Friday following the incident.
The expelled BCL activists are Rashed, Dhrubo, Mamun and Mohammad of Shahidullah Hall and Rakib, Rocky, Rashed and Sharif of Amar Ekushey Hall.
The two central leaders who will have to show cause for the incident to retain their leadership are Organising Secretary Ahsan Uddin Rasel and international affairs secretary Shahidul Islam.
It is found by a detailed inquiry of The Independent that the clash of Thursday night that left ten injured, including a central vice-president and former international affairs secretary critically, was not an isolated incident, rather a host of top central leaders were allegedly involved in the incident of the illegal business.
BCL sources alleged that the leaders occupied the two entrances of Boi Mela and erected about 44 makeshift shops and rented them to vendors.
Vice president of BCL central committee Riazuddin Chowdhury Sumon and Sohel Rana Mithu, former international affairs secretary grabbed 12 shops, central social welfare secretary Kazi Enayet and environmental affairs secretary Sifuzzaman Sohagh possessed eight shops, president of Zia Hall Rifat Hossain Jiko and central joint secretary Mostafizur Rahman Mustaq possessed 18 shops.
Mamun, a close aide to central secretary Siddique Nazmul Alom, who is dubbed as Tokai Mamun, possessed seven shops.
A vendor of Suhrawardy Uddyan told The Independent that each of the shops was rented to the vendors for taka worth 25-30 thousand.
Sources in BCL, who sought anonymity, also confirmed the news. The group is also accused of extortion from the mobile shops of Suhrawardy Uddyan.
At the closing hour of the second day,  at around 8:00pm, central organising secretary Ahsanullah Russell and Moshiur Rahman, known as cohort of  HM Bodiuzzaman Sohagh, accompanied some students of Ekushe Hall and Shahidullah Hall of DU and tried to capture the shops possessed by Tokai Mamun.
Shahidul Islam, international affairs secretary of BCL and a close aide to secretary Siddique Nazmul, then rushed to the spot to back Tokai Mamun and asked them to leave the scene.
But, Russell and Moshiur declined to leave the scene as they insist they were sent by the BCL president stating “We can't leave the place as it's a prestige issue of president himself.”
Witnesses said at that point, both the groups locked into altercation and started rampage which left Riazuddin Chowdhury Sumon, Sohel Rana Mithu, Mithu's brother Jewel Rana and Organizing secretary Shawkat ul Islam injured along with Tanvir of Zohurul Haque Hall, Imran, Paris, Merun and Shuvo from Ekushey hall. Police then went to the spot at the dead of night and evicted all the shops.
Officer- in- charge of Shahbagh Police Station, Azizul Islam said: “The shops outside the Boi Mela were illegally erected and that's why we have decided to remove all of them.”
More than one central leaders of BCL, seeking anonymity, confirmed the incident of grabbing illegally possessed shops.
Rejecting the allegation, Bodiuzzaman Sohagh told The Independent: “It's totally baseless that I sent some activists of the hall unit to grab any illegal shop.”
He also said he was busy with a four-day party programme.
“We take disciplinary actions against them who are involved in such incidents,” Sohagh added.
“How can I take action against them if I sent them,” he posed a question. Secretary Siddique Nazmul couldn't be reached despite several attempts.
“Same steps will be taken against the two central leaders if they fail to show a logical cause," Sohagh said.