Dhaka, Nov 18 – Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) led by veteran freedom fighter Col (Retd) Oli Ahmed has suffered a split as a group of its leaders announced a seven-member coordination committee dropping him. The committee of LDP faction has been formed with the former whip of Parliament and LDP presidium member Abdul Karim Abbasi as its president former joint secretary general Shahdat Hossain Selim as member secretary.
Selim came up with the announcement at a press conference at the National Press Club yesterday.
Earlier on October 9, Oli Ahmed formed a 203-member new central committee of LDP dropping Abbasi and Selim. The LDP is a partner of the BNP-led 20-party opposition alliance.
Meanwhile, speaking at a press conference, LDP president Oli Ahmed claimed that the LDP under his leadership is the main faction of the party.
“The LDP has been registered with my name and I applied for it. It is the first registered political party. There is no legal right for anyone to take over the party… I want to make it clear firmly that this LDP is the mail LDP,” he said
Asked whether he would expel Abbasi and Selim from the party, he parried the answer saying that they are not so important national leaders that he needs to destroy paper by expelling them.
Replying to a question, he said there are several hundred political parties in Bangladesh and there would be another one with them.
He told another questioner that he did not deprive Selim rather he said Selim introduces him as senior joint secretary-general of the party.
Oli mentioned that he formed the new central committee in consulting at party forum.
The press conference was organized at Jatiya Press Club under the banner of Muktifront protesting the price hike of essential commodities including onion.
Earlier, announcing the new faction of the LDP, Shahadat Hossain Selim said they formed the new committee as what he said it is not possible to do politics with Oli Ahmed.
“I had committed sin by joining politics with Oli Ahmed,” he said.
He said the coordination committee will work out the next course of action through discussions with other party leaders and activists.
Oli Ahmed, a former standing committee member of the opposition BNP, formed the LDP together with former President and Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh (BDB) President Dr AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury on October 26, 2006 by leaving the party.
However, Badruddoza Chowdhury left the LDP within a year and revived his party BDB following a conflict with Oli. – Staff Reporter
