This comes a day after Shahjahan was bailed following his arrest on charges related to the torching of a bus during violent opposition protests
Published : 30 Nov 2023, 06:18 PM
The BNP has expelled Shahjahan Omar as its vice-chairman after the former state minister for law announced he was running for parliament as an Awami League nominee.
Shahjahan submitted his candidacy online on Thursday, the last day for nomination submission in the 12th general election, said Jhalakathi Deputy Commissioner and Returning Officer Farah Gul Nijhum.
The ruling party Office Secretary Biplab Barua also confirmed that the party had nominated Shahjahan to run for the Jhalakathi-1 seat in the Jan 7 general election.
Speaking to bdnews24.com, Shahjahan said he decided to join the race amid the BNP’s boycott because he wanted to work for the people in his area, which he “could not do in the past 17 years”.
“And I asked no question when the Awami League offered me a nomination. I’m willingly resigning from the BNP.”
This comes a day after Shahjahan was bailed following his arrest on charges related to the torching of a bus during violent opposition protests.
The law-enforcing agencies have arrested scores of BNP leaders, including Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, in the past one month in similar cases over violence.
Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, senior joint secretary general who is among many others now in hiding, said in a statement the party expelled Shahjahan for “gross breach of discipline” by taking a stance against it.