Excluded Jubo Dal leaders stage sit-in protest outside BNP office
Former leaders from various levels of Jubo Dal and Chhatra Dal also took part in the programme.
Leaders claiming to have been left out of the newly announced central committee of Jubo Dal staged a sit-in protest outside BNP's central office in Dhaka's Naya Paltan today (13 June), alleging that long-serving activists involved in party politics had not been properly recognised.
Former leaders from various levels of Jubo Dal and Chhatra Dal also took part in the programme.
The protesters alleged that many activists who remained involved in Jubo Dal politics despite facing cases, arrests and alleged persecution during the Awami League government's tenure had been excluded from the new committee.
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They claimed that key posts had instead been given to individuals considered close to the organisation's president and general secretary.
According to the protesters, prioritising members of an "inner circle" rather than evaluating leaders based on their sacrifices and organisational contributions has fuelled dissatisfaction among grassroots activists.
They warned that the organisation could face internal difficulties if the excluded leaders are not properly recognised.
Rafiqul Islam, one of the excluded leaders, said, "I entered BNP politics through Chhatra Dal and also held responsibilities in the previous Jubo Dal committee. Despite being involved in political movements and struggles for many years, we have now become politically unrecognised. We want our political identity and proper evaluation."
Humayun Kabir, a former vice-president of Chhatra Dal, said, "During the Awami League government's rule, we remained active on the streets. Our sacrifices were no less than those of others. Yet we have not been included in the new committee. We seek justice from the party leadership."
The protest followed the approval of a 151-member Jubo Dal central executive committee, announced on 4 June through a press release signed by BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed.
The committee named Abdul Monayem Munna as president and Nurul Islam Nayon as general secretary.
