Gowainghat upazila unit joint convener of Jatiyatabadi Juba Dal, youth wing of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Zahid Khan, was expelled on charge of participating in a demonstration blocking the car of two advisers of the interim government on Saturday.
The incident took place in the Ballaghat area of Jaflong under the upazila in Sylhet.
Zahid along with other people in the area allegedly blocked the car of the advisers for their comments saying that no more quarries would be opened for extracting stones and sand in the Sylhet region.
A notice signed by the JD central assistant office secretary Minhazul Islam Bhuiyan confirmed Zahid’s expulsion.
Sylhet district Jubo Dal president Mominul Islam also confirmed the expulsion order to ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· on Sunday morning.
He said that Zahid was expelled for participating in the protest by blocking the car of water resources and environment, forest and climate change adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan and power, energy and mineral resources adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan while they were returning after inspecting an ecologically critical area and tourist spot at Jaflong.
The notice said that Zahid’s primary membership was cancelled and he was expelled from the organisation on allegations of being involved in activities against the organisational discipline.
Jubo Dal central committee president Abdul Monayem Munna and general secretary Mohammad Nurul Islam Nayan approved the decision.
It also said in the notice that the organisation would not take responsibility for any misdeeds by expelled Zahid.
At the same time, leaders and activists at all levels of the Jubo Dal were asked not to maintain organisational relations with him, the notice said.
On Saturday noon, Syeda Rizwana and Fouzul Kabir talked to journalists after visiting the Jaflong ECA area.
Responding to a question, Rizwana said that the government would not lease or open any more stone quarries in Sylhet, including at Jaflong, and legal action had already been taken against those who illegally extracted sand and stones from the Jaflong ECA area.
She also warned that strict action would be taken against those founf involved in such illegal activities in the future.
Fouzul Kabir said that power connections to the illegally installed stone crushers would be disconnected and these would also be evicted.
Later, the people, including the stone quarry workers, sand and stone traders, blocked the car of the two advisers at the Ballaghat demanding immediate opening of all stone quarries in Sylhet.
Leaders of the BNP’s front organisations, including Juba Dal and Chhatra Dal, reportedly were seen to lead the demonstrators, BNP sources said.
Sylhet district BNP president Abdul Kaiyum Chowdhury told ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· that taking organisational steps had begun against the party’s affiliated and associate organisations for blocking the advisers’ car and obstructing government work.
