Lalmonirhat BNP Faction Accuses Own MP of Graft and Corruption

Internal rifts within the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in Lalmonirhat have burst into the open after a faction of leaders from the Aditmari Upazila unit and its associate bodies held a press conference accusing their local Member of Parliament, Rokon Uddin Babul, of financial irregularities, breaches of party discipline, and collusion with political rivals.

The press briefing took place on Monday, 17 August, at 5:00 pm inside the Aditmari Upazila BNP office. Delivering a written statement entitled “Press Conference in Protest of Corruption and Irregularities Against MP Rokon Uddin Babul,” former Member Secretary of Aditmari Upazila BNP, Salekuzzaman Pramanik, outlined a series of serious grievances against the lawmaker representing the Lalmonirhat-2 constituency.

Speaking on behalf of the discontented leaders, Salekuzzaman alleged that since his election to parliament, Rokon Uddin has consistently bypassed the local party hierarchy, opting to run organizational and regional development initiatives unilaterally. He charged the MP with collaborating with members of the Jatiya Party, the banned Awami League, Jamaat-e-Islami, and various vested interest groups to advance personal motives, asserting that such actions have severely damaged the BNP’s public standing in the constituency.

The briefing highlighted that the MP has failed to convene any post-election evaluation meetings with grass-roots activists or maintain contact with local constituents. Concerns were also raised over an unauthorized public rally called by the MP for Tuesday afternoon at the Aditmari GS Model School and College grounds. Local leaders claimed the event was scheduled under the party banner in direct violation of central and Rangpur divisional directives, without the knowledge or consent of the main upazila committee.

Tensions further escalated over a specific incident on 15 August during celebrations for Begum Khaleda Zia’s birthday. According to the written statement, an official party programme concluded as scheduled at 11:00 am. However, later that afternoon, individuals acting under the MP’s instructions reportedly broke the lock of the Aditmari Upazila BNP office to hold an unapproved meeting without informing senior local leadership, provoking widespread anger among grassroots workers.

Concluding the statement, the faction accused Rokon Uddin of intentionally sowing division within the Aditmari unit to establish a personal loyalist network at the expense of established party structures. Urging central command to step in, the aggrieved leaders called for formal disciplinary action against the lawmaker for corruption and insubordination.

Responding to the allegations, MP Rokon Uddin rejected the claims in their entirety, describing them as politically motivated fabrications designed to malign his character and sabotage his scheduled post-election worker evaluation rally. He stated that the majority of those present at the press conference had actively worked against his candidacy during the 13th National Parliamentary Election, adding that their opposition stems from disappointment over his electoral victory.

Efforts to seek clarification from Asadul Habib Dulu, President of Lalmonirhat District BNP and Organizing Secretary for the Rangpur Division, were unsuccessful, as repeated telephone calls and messaging inquiries went unanswered.