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Ministers' squabble blamed for Ctg's underdevelopment

Grassroots BNP leaders talk party problems

STAFF CORRESPONDENT, Ctg
The ruling BNP's grassroots leaders yesterday blamed inertia, insincerity and feuds among ministers and party high-ups in Chittagong as major reasons behind 'underdevelopment' of the district.
About 20 union-level BNP leaders focused mainly on the party problems in their respective areas, especially Mirersarai, Rangunia and Raozan, and criticised the local lawmakers and party leaders for the problems.
A total of 42 grassroots leaders addressed the north district BNP union conference at MA Aziz Stadium here.
A brief pandemonium before and during the speeches by some union leaders marked the conference that also witnessed repeated interruptions from the dais and participants.
Party leader Giasuddin Quader Chowdhury criticised the role of north district BNP President Golam Akbar Khondker, who was sitting on the dais.
Party problems apart, issues like price hike of rice and other essentials, role of the finance minister and local ministers, development, crimes, corruption, problem of Sitakunda industrial belt, river erosion in Sandwip and Hathazari and canal digging were discussed by the union-level leaders.
Senior Joint Secretary General of the BNP Tarique Rahman chaired the conference and Health and Family Welfare Minister Khondker Mosharraf Hossain was the chief guest.
Banshbaria union (Sitakunda) BNP President Abul Bashar Chowdhury blamed the finance minister for the price hike of essentials across the country, and closure of state-owned jute and textile mills in Sitakunda industrial zone.
"BNP's image is being tarnished due to wrong leadership and planning of the finance minister," Bashar alleged. "He (derives) pleasure in having a healthy foreign exchange
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reserve but what shall we do with the funds if they don't benefit the people."
"Local ministers pay little heed to our problems and always advise us to go the finance minister for resolving them," he said.
Mirzapur union (Hathazari) leader alleged the upazila administration is involved in corruption, and called for effective steps to check this.
Matiur Rahman Matin, a union BNP leader from Mirersarai, expressed concern at the spiralling price of rice and said the party will face problems in the next general elections if the price hike is not checked now.
At this stage, Tarique Rahman intervened and wanted to know whether he had seen Friday's newspaper reports on the withdrawal of duty on rice import. Matin replied in the negative.
Tarique admonished him for not being aware of government steps and advised him to read newspapers regularly.
Oliul Kabir Iqbal, Katachhara union (Mirersarai) BNP president, alleged local lawmaker MA Jinnah is doing nothing for the area and is damaging the party's image through his activities.
Gazi Nizamuddin and Mohiuddin Ahmad, both from Mirersarai, also criticised the lawmaker's 'inertia and negative role'.
They urged Tarique to bring a change in the organisational structure of the local party unit.
All the speakers complained of intra-party feuds.
Mohiuddin Bahar from Rangamati alleged that extortion is going on in the name of BNP in
Fatikchhari.
A section of BNP leaders loyal to Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury, parliamentary advisor to the prime minister, loudly protested when Badiul Alam of Rangunia referred to an incident last year at the grave where Ziaur Rahman was buried first. Giasuddin Quader came down from the dais and stopped them from shouting.
Touhidul Alam from Shikarpur (Hathazari) hinted at serious disagreement among the eight ministers from Chittagong. If they address or attend only three public meetings together, the opposition Awami League (AL) will have no footing in the port city and district, he felt, and asked BNP leaders to remain vigilant against 'destructive activities' of the AL.