Cornered Pankaj Debnath MP, A.League dismissed from the party, with show cause notice

Central Awami League has dismissed Pankaj Debnath, Member of Barisal District Branch Awami League Advisory Council and Member of Parliament of Barisal-4 Constituency (Hijla-Mehendiganj) on charges of breaking party discipline. He has been asked to give a written reply in this regard within the next 15 days.

On Saturday, Awami League office secretary Barrister Biplab Barua signed an exemption letter given to Pankaj Debnath.

MP Pankaj Debnath, who has been cornered in the party due to various irregularities, confirmed the information about getting the exemption letter to Dhaka Times on Sunday.

He said, I have not been expelled. I was dismissed from the team. I also received this letter. But I don’t know why. Trying to find out.

In the letter to Pankaj Debnath it was written-

“Bangladesh Awami League has exempted you from all other party posts, including the position of member of the advisory council of Barisal district branch, on the charge of breaking the institutional order with the power delegated according to the constitution of the Bangladesh Awami League. Your written response on the said matter is requested to be submitted to the Central Office Department within the next fifteen (15) days as per the organizational instructions.’

Earlier, Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina ordered Pankaj Debnath, general secretary of Swachhasebak League, to refrain from all activities of the organization after being named in the casino scandal. He held the post of general secretary of Swachhasebak League for 17 years.

Last July, a call record of a police officer with Barisal-4 Constituency Member of Parliament Pankaj Debnath went viral on social media. There, he was heard to give instructions to Kopano to Kamal Uddin Khan, the mayor of Mehendiganj municipality.

There are also allegations of various irregularities-corruption and anarchy against Member of Parliament Pankaj Debnath. In 2019, an Awami League leader named Sanjay Chandra held a press conference raising 16 charges against him including illegal recruitment trade, corruption, occupation terrorism, tender betting, land grabbing and illegal acquisition of financial resources.

A year before this, in 2018, the local Awami League leaders, including science and technology affairs secretary of Mehendiganj Upazila Awami League, Anwar Hossain Sagar, accused him of collusion with BNP-Jamaat in a press conference.

(Dhakatimes/September 12/JA/ES)