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MP's men try to foil minister's meeting

Ctg lawmaker Latif scuffles with cops

Staff Correspondent, ag
Awami League lawmaker MA Latif was involved in a scuffle with law enforcers when the MP with his men tried to force his way into a Water Transport Coordination Cell (WTCC) meeting in Chittagong yesterday.
Latif, also the president of Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), claimed that he was assaulted by police while police claimed that a few of their officers were attacked by the lawmaker himself.
The WTCC was scheduled to hold a meeting in which an ad hoc committee was to take charge in presence of Shipping Minister Afsarul Amin. Latif was not included in the committee. He had been holding on to the convener post of WTCC "illegally" for the last six months, sources said.
MA Latif along with around 100 men went to the WTCC office at Agrabad yesterday around 10:15am to occupy it and spoil the WTCC meeting scheduled for 3:30pm, sources said.
After Latif and his men had gone out around 12:40pm for Juma prayers police took position at the entrance to ensure security. Hearing about deployment of law enforcers, Latif returned to the WTCC office building and picked up an altercation with police that resulted in the scuffle, sources said.
Latif along with a few of his men eventually forced their way into the office building and staged a sit-in in front of the WTCC office on the fifth floor of the building.
He kept lying there even after Shipping Minister Afsarul Amin and Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) Mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury walked past him to the meeting where they were the chief guest and special guest.
Later, Bangladesh Chhatra League activists carried the lawmaker out of the building around 5:30pm.
The MP during the scuffle manhandled Assistant Commissioner (AC) Nirma 1endu Bikash Chakraborty of Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) Double Mooring zone and Officer-in-charge (OC) AKM Manjurul Haque of Double Mooring Police Station, alleged police officials.
The WTCC was formed in 2005 merging two organisations of inland cargo vessel owners- -Coastal Ship Owners Association of Bangladesh (COAB) and Bangladesh Cargo Vessel Owners Association (BCVOA).
As per a memorandum of understanding COAB and BCVOA signed with the CCCI, the senior vice-president of CCCI was to act as the convener of WTCC while the CCCI president would act as an adviser.
However, Latif even after becoming the president of CCCI on December 15, 2008, clung on to the convener and the adviser posts.
As vessel owners drew the shipping minister's attention to the matter, the minister directed them to form an ad hoc committee following the rules of the organisation.
On June 3, COAB and BCVOA formed the 14-member ad hoc committee, excluding Latif, and made Gazi Belayet Hossain Mithu the convener.
The ad hoc committee was to form a new constitution to run WTCC under a new management, excluding the CCCI, and elect a new committee.
The ad hoc committee informed Latif of his expulsion from WTCC in a letter Thursday.
The meeting of the ad hoc committee was held as scheduled. • •