B'desh opposition expels leader for taking oath as lawmaker defying party's decision

Bangladesh's opposition Gano Forum on Thursday expelled a prominent leader, a day after he took oath as a parliamentarian defying the decision of the party that rejected the January 30 polls claiming it to be "massively rigged".

Sultan Mohammad Mansur, who won the Moulvibazar-2 seat on the ticket of Kamal Hossain-led Gano Forum, was sworn in as a lawmaker by Speaker Shirin Sharmin on Wednesday.

Mansur "has betrayed" the "principles and ideals" of the Gano Forum and "violated the party's constitution", Forum's general secretary Mostafa Mohsin Montu told media here.

"We are expelling Sultan Mansur...and will take necessary actions against him later," he added.

 

Meanwhile, Mansur claimed he took the oath after consulting the Gano Forum chief Hossain, who also heads the National Unity Forum (NUF) that includes jailed ex-premier Khaleda Zia's party BNP.

NUF, which emerged as the opposition platform just around a month ahead of the general election, conceded a miserable defeat bagging together only eight seats in the 300-seat parliament in the polls that installed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League party for the third consecutive term.

BNP bagged six seats, while Gano Forum got two, a situation prompting

the NUF to reject the elections and demand fresh polls under a non-party caretaker government.

Mansur was also removed from the NUF's steering committee as well.

A prominent former president of Awami League's student front, Mansur had led the 1990 student upsurge against deposed military ruler and former president HM Ershad and subsequently became a lawmaker of the party.

However, in 2008 a rift was developed between Mansur and the Awami League high ups and after years of political hibernation, he recently joined the Gano Forum.

As per Bangladesh's Constitution, a lawmaker would siege to be a parliament member if he or she violates the party decision or resigns from the party.

But Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said the provision prescribed in the Constitution's Article 70 was inapplicable for Mansur as there was no lawmaker from Gano Forum in the parliament other than him.

"Therefore, nobody from Gano Forum can cancel his parliamentary membership," Alam said.