Expelled from the party, BNP’s Taimur seeks to stay on ‘as a member’

Taimur Alam Khandaker plans to keep serving the BNP “as a member” after the party expelled him after he defied orders to contest in Narayanganj mayoral polls and subsequently lost to the Awami League’s Salina Hayat Ivy.

Taimur, however, on Wednesday said he had not received any phone call or letter over the decision.

“They’ve sacked me from my position, not from party membership. I will keep working as a member and a supporter of the party,” he said at his residence in Narayanganj’s Masdair.

Accepting the punishment, Taimur said, “I’m not angry at all over this decision. I will remain loyal to Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman all my life. I will initiate campaigns to call for Khaleda’s release and against EVM [electronic voting machine] in the coming days.”

“I’ll keep supporting the grassroots people as I did in the past. Not on any other platforms. I need to be part of a party to do politics, I don’t need designations. I’ll keep fighting for the people’s rights.”

Earlier this month, the BNP removed Taimur from its advisory council and the Narayanganj Municipality Unit as the convenor after he had submitted nomination papers for the election.

The opposition party also expelled ATM Kamal, general secretary of its Narayanganj Municipality Unit, on Tuesday. Kamal worked as the chief electoral agent of Taimur in the polls.

In letters expelling the two politicians, the BNP said it received “specific allegation against them about their involvement in activities that are in breach of party discipline.”

On his defeat in the mayoral polls, he said, “The result is what it is due to errors in the EVM. The machine is a ploy to rig the vote.”

Taimur called on the people of the country to rise up against EVMs and support other political parties.