S A Shofiee, Sylhet :
A clash broke out between followers of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s advisor Tahsina Rushdir Luna and acting chairman Tarique Rahman’s foreign affairs advisor Humayun Kabir in Bishwanath, Sylhet. At least 10 people were injured. Later, the army and police went to control the situation.
The clash lasted for about two hours in front of the Bashi Bridge and Thana Gate in Bishwanath Municipality town at around 10 pm on Thursday (October 9). The situation in the entire area is tense today (October 10).
According to local BNP workers, Tahsina Rushdir Luna has been in the field for a long time to get nomination in the next parliamentary election in Sylhet-2 (Bishwanath and Osmaninagar) constituency. She is the wife of the former MP of this constituency and missing BNP leader M Ilias Ali. Recently, UK expatriate leader Humayun Kabir has also become active. He is known to be a close associate of BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman. Two parties are active locally around their nominations.
Recently, at a function in Dhaka, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said, ‘Humayun will contest from Sylhet.’ Since then, tensions have increased between the two parties, which led to clashes on Thursday night.
According to local sources, Humayun Kabir’s election rally was held that evening in Daulatpur Union of Bishwanath Upazila. Anger had been growing among Luna supporters since Wednesday surrounding the rally. When Humayun’s supporters took out a procession in the municipal town after the rally at around 9:30 pm, a scuffle broke out between the two parties in the Basia Bridge area. At one stage, a chase and counter-chase began. As a result, shops in the market were closed and traffic came to a standstill. Around 11:30 pm, the police and the army went and brought the situation under control.
Sylhet Additional Superintendent of Police (Osmaninagar Circle) Ashrafuzzaman said that people from Luna and Humayun’s factions were involved in a clash. Although the situation is currently calm, neither side has complained to the police station. He said, “I have heard that some people were injured in the clash, but none are in serious condition.”
Local BNP leaders said that after M. Ilyas Ali’s ‘disappearance’, Tahsina Rushdir Luna gradually became influential in the Sylhet-2 constituency in the last 13 years. Due to her husband’s popularity and her own activities, she played an important role in the local BNP and was in the discussion as the party’s sole candidate in this constituency until now.
After Ilyas disappeared on April 17, 2012, BNP participated only once, that is, in the 11th National Parliament election. Although Tahsina received nomination from the Sylhet-2 constituency in that election, she could not contest due to a court order.
After the political changes on August 5 last year, when Humayun Kabir expressed his intention to contest from the Sylhet-2 constituency, a new discussion started in local politics. Since the BNP Secretary General’s recent comments, the activity and conflict between the Tahsina and Humayun factions has increased.
