A meeting of the Executive Committee of Rajshahi Metropolitan unit of Awami League in a decision has expelled Mohammad Ali Sarker, Chairman of Rajshahi Zila Parisad from the primary membership of Awami League, informed a press release of Metropolitan unit of AL on Monday ( 25 Jan.) night.
The press release mentioned, Mohammad Ali Sarker has been expelled from the primary membership of AL of ward-14 ( east) for breaching the party discipline, resisting in the construction of the Central Shahid Minar and the mural of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. After expelling him from the party post, recommendations for his final expulsion from the party has been sent to the central executive committee of AL.
The executive committee meeting of Rajshahi AL was presided over by President of Metropolitan unit of AL, Rajshahi City Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton while General Secretary of the party Doublew Sarker conducted the meeting.
It is learnt, in Rajshahi Zila Parishad's deserted land where the building of Engineering and Survey Institute was situated, Rajshahi City Corporation took a project to construct Central Shahid Minar. But, in defiance of the decision of RCC, Zila Parishad took an initiative to construct a multistoried building there. Both the decisions created confusion among the city people and demanding to construct the Shahid Minar, several organisations organised human chains in the city.
Later, on December 16 last, the foundation stone of the construction of Central Shahid Minar was laid on the land of Zila Parishad by Advocate Golam Arif Tipu, Chief Prosecutor of International Crimes Tribunal as the chief guest while RCC Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton, Member of Parliament of Rajshahi sadar Fazley Hossain Badsha, language movement veterans and freedom fighters attended, among others.
Soon after the laying of the foundation stone, RCC starts demolition of the old infrastructure of Technical Training Centre. But, after several days, a member of Rajshahi Zila Parishad filed a writ petition with the High Court and on last Wednesday the court ordered a status quo on the construction of the Shahid Minar on the land. As a result of such action, the Chairman of Zila Parishad has been expelled from the party. In 2016 Mohammad Ali Sarker was elected the chairman of Zila Parishad by defeating several contestants.
While commenting on the expulsion from the party, Zila Parishad Chairman Mohammad Ali Sarker said, he was unaware of the incident of his expulsion. He added, he works for the party headed by Sheikh Hasina and he does not care about what anyone else does.
Meanwhile, a protest meeting was held at Sharit Dutta Gupta auditorium in Rajshahi City Corporation on Monday where RCC Mayor AHM Kharizzaman Liton presided over.
In the meeting, RCC Mayor Liton said, Prime Minister has already allocated Taka 16.5 crore for the construction of the Shahid Minar. It is the favourite demand of all people of Rajshahi. No one will be able to resist the construction of the central shahid minar on the same spot, he claimed.
Fazley Hossain Badsha MP in the meeting said, a person resisting the project of construction of the mural of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the Central Shahid Minar can not stay to the party post.
General Secretary of Metropolitan unit of AL Doublew Sarker said, it is the demand of everyone, the Shahid Minar will be set up at the same spot at all costs. He requested Mohammad Ali Sarker to withdraw the writ petition from the court, otherwise, he threatened to declare him as an unwanted person in Rajshahi.
The meeting was attended, among others, by freedom fighterS Professor Ruhul Amin Pramanik, Naosher Ali, Mustafizur Rahman Khan, Nazim Uddin, Adv. Motiur Rahman, Adv. Mozaffar Hossain, Professor Golam Sabbir Sattar Tapu and Shafiqul Islam Shafique