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The former mayor was expelled first for his comments on Bangabandhu and then for attempting to contest election in defiance of party orders
Published : 21 Oct 2023, 08:02 PM
The Awami League has once again withdrawn the expulsion order on Zahangir Alam, who was also expelled as the mayor of Gazipur City Corporation for his comments on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
The reinstatement of Zahangir’s membership was part of the ruling party’s general amnesty following a Central Working Committee decision, the Awami League said in a notice on Saturday.
The general amnesty for rebellious leaders is on condition that they will not act against the party again, according to the notice. If they defy party orders again, their activities will be deemed “unforgivable”.
Obaidul Quader, general secretary of the party, said in the notice that Zahangir had been expelled for his activities against the party’s interests, ideals, discipline and charter.
The former mayor, who had worked as general secretary of the party’s Gazipur Metropolitan Unit, was expelled first for his objectionable comments on Bangabandhu and Liberation War martyrs in November 2021.
He got back his membership in January 2023 ahead of Gazipur City Corporation polls.
The party expelled him for the second time after he had decided to join the mayoral race, defying the Awami League’s decision to nominate Azmat Ullah Khan as its mayoral candidate.
Zahangir filed his nomination to contest the polls as an independent candidate but his candidacy was scrapped for him being the guarantor of a defaulted loan.
He delivered a major upset to the ruling party by propelling his unfancied mother Jayeda Khaton to the office of mayor of Gazipur.
After hearing his writ petition, the High Court in June ruled that due process was not followed in expelling him as mayor, but by the time, his mother was elected mayor.
