A central leader was assaulted at the exchange meeting of Awami League in Jamalpur. The incident took place at the local Mirza Azam Auditorium on Monday (November 20) at noon. Awami League’s organizing secretary and member of parliament Mirza Azam was the chief guest on the occasion.
Sadar Upazila Awami League organized an exchange meeting on behalf of Prime Minister’s former Chief Secretary Abul Kalam Azad, who is one of the 8 potential candidates for the Sadar constituency ahead of the 12th National Assembly elections.
At one stage of the meeting, Awami League Central Executive Committee member Marufa Akhter Poppy stood up and congratulated Abul Kalam Azad for collecting the nomination form, and Mirza Azam ‘threatened’ him. At this time, he repeatedly threatened Poppy to sit down.
At this time Marufa Akhtar Poppy left the stage with the slogan ‘Jai Bangla, Jai Bangabandhu’. District Awami League President Advocate Muhammad Baki Billah and General Secretary Bijan Kumar Chand were present in the forum. Awami League leaders and activists are pent-up anger in this incident.
In this regard, the central Awami League leader Marufa Akhter Popi said, ‘I have been treated disrespectfully.’
He said, ‘Abul Kalam Azad invited me over the phone last night to attend the event. Being the voter of Sadar and the place of birth, I have attended this event.’
He also said, ‘No chair was kept for me, when it was announced to get on the stage, if someone gave up a seat, I took the seat.’
One of the eyewitnesses of the incident, Maruf Ahmed, Vice President of Ranagacha Union Jubo League, said, ‘When Awami League central leader Popi stood up to speak, Mirza Azam repeatedly asked her to sit down. At one point, Poppy started chanting.’
Wahidul Karim Tanmoy, another eyewitness of the incident, said, “Such an incident between two central leaders is very sad.”
Jamalpur District Awami League Joint General Secretary and Municipal Mayor Chanwar Hossain, who is known to be close to Mirza Azam, was present at the event. In this regard, he said, there was no incident of assault.
