Senior BNP leaders served with show-cause notices

Two vice chairmen of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) - Major (retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed and Shawkat Mahmud – were reportedly given show-cause notices on Monday (14 December).

The notices were signed by BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, who confirmed the matter to the media and said that both the letters were dispatched after 7pm on Monday evening, reports Somoy TV.

Tareq Rahman, the acting chairman of the party, has given his approval in this regard.

According to the show-cause letter to Major (retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, he had shown reluctance to carry out the responsibilities bestowed upon him on different occasions, despite the fact that BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia gave him the post of vice-chairman even after he became the secretary general splitting the party during the period of 1/11 in 2007. He had also expressed inability to monitor Bangladesh Nationalist Krishok Dol.

Moreover, he allegedly made disrespectful remarks on other senior leaders of the party.  

On the other hand, Vice Chairman Shawkat Mahmud was show-caused for violating party discipline.

According to the show-cause notice sent to Shawkat Mahmud, he was involved in anti-disciplinary activities by misleading the leaders and followers in the name of the organisation

Both were asked to submit a written account explaining why no organisational action would be taken against them. Hafiz Uddin was given a period of 5 days and Shawkat Mahmud was given 3 days to respond.  

Upon contacting Hafiz Uddin, he said that he has neither received any letter nor is aware of any such allegations against him. However, Shawkat Mahmud could not be reached for comments.

Major (retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed was the minister of Water Resources during the BNP-led four-party alliance government.

Shawkat Mahmud was made the party's vice chairman during BNP's sixth national council in 2016. Earlier, he was a member of the BNP chairperson's advisory council.