The rift in Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal intensified further as BNP expelled two of the party's dissident leaders known to be pulling the strings of a JCD faction, which is vehemently opposing the recently formed central committee of the student body.

Anisur Rahman Talukder Khokan and Abu Sayeed, organising secretary and vice-president of BNP, were expelled for "breaching party discipline", said a BNP release. They lost positions from all levels of BNP, including primary membership, and the party asked all its leaders and front bodies to refrain from maintaining any organisational relation or link with the two, the release added.

In addition, BNP asked JCD ex-vice presidents Javed Hasan Swadhin, Tarun De, former joint secretaries Tarikul Islam Titu, Ferdous Ahmed Munna, and ex-assistant general secretary Rakibul Islam Royal to explain today their ’ activities against party discipline".

Royal last night told The Daily Star that the action against the five of them would fuel the tension in JCD, and that they would protest the decision today, gatheringbefore the BNP headquarters.

The action against the five dissident JCD leaders came about 20 days after their seven-day demonstration against the new JCD central committee formed on October 14, with Rajib Ahsan and Akramul Hasan as president and general secretary.

The dissident and "deprived" JCD men started protests in front of the Nayapaltan office on October 15, calling the new body an "incompetent and pocket committee" and demanding its dissolution.

After five days of demonstrations and violent clashes between the dissidents and new committee members, BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir sat with the warring factions on October 19, and had their protest adjourned following a “fruitful meeting. ”

Later, an annoyed Khaleda assigned BNP Dhaka city convener Mirza Abbas to resolve the JCD crisis but he failed to hammer out a solution despite several meetings with the two groups.

On November 7, the rebel JCD men allegedly attacked the vehicle of BNP leaders Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee and Sultan Salauddin Tuku when they accompanied Khaleda to party founder Ziaur Rahman's grave in the capital, marking "National Revolution and Solidarity Day”.