Several hundred supporters of Munshiganj-1 aspirant Sheikh Abdullah and Cumilla-4 hopeful Manjurul Ahsan Munshi started demonstrating around 10am on Sunday. No senior BNP leader is in the office.
BNP picked its Vice-Chairman Shah Moazzem Hossain for contesting from Munshiganj-1 constituency while Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal General Secretary Abdul Malek Ratan was chosen to fight for Cumilla-4 on behalf of the Jatiya Oikya front.
Shafiqul Islam,a supporter of Abdullah, said they would not accept Moazzem. “He is an elderly person and has no connection with local leaders and activists. We want the party to change its decision,” he said.
Kamal Uddin, a supporter of Munshi, said their leader was a four-time MP from Cumilla-4. “We cannot win with a candidate like Ratan, who hardly visits the area. We have come here to tell the party that we will not accept this illegal nomination,” he said.
Around 11am, an office staff announced that there was no point in gathering in front of the place since the office is closed.
On Saturday, supporters of BNP International Affairs Secretary ANM EhsanulHaqueMilon (Chandpur-1), TaimurAlamKhandaker (Narayanganj-1) and SelimuzzamnSelim (Gopalganj-1) gathered in front of the office and demonstrated until midnight.
They shouted slogans against BNP Secretary GeneralMirzaFakhrul Islam Alamgir for, what they said, depriving their leaders of nominations.They demanded the party nominatesEhsanul, Taimur and Selim.
At one stage, the demonstrators tried to break the office gates and hurled stones and brick chips at the office, damaging the windows.
The protesters also vandalisedFakhrul’s vehicle in front of the office.
They also tried to obstruct him when he was coming out of the office at midnight, but the senior leaders appeased them.
Milon’sagitated supporters had earlier kept BNP’s headquarters locked for nearly an hour after the party picked someone else over him for Chandpur-1 constituency. They gavethe party 12hours to change its decision.
On Friday night, BNP late secretary general Khandaker Dewar Hossain’s son Abdul Hamid Dablu along with his supporters demonstrated in front of party chief Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan office as SA Jinnah Kabir was given party nomination from Manikganj-1.
The supporters of NarayanganjBNP leader Giasuddin also demonstrated there as their leader did not get the party ticket.