A Saudi-based Bangladeshi expatriate has announced his decision to withdraw from all political activities and relinquish his positions within the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), making the declaration in front of the Holy Kaaba in Makkah.
Md Saddam Hawladar, who serves as vice-president of the Agailjhara upazila unit of the Zia Cyber Force, a social media-based organisation associated with the BNP, made the announcement in a video posted on his Facebook account on Monday (31 August).
In the video, Saddam was seen making the declaration with the Holy Kaaba in the background. He later wrote a lengthy statement in the comments section explaining his decision and reflecting on his longstanding association with the BNP.
Saddam said his family had maintained close ties with the BNP for many years. According to his statement, around 90 per cent of his extended family, including his father and uncles, had been associated with the party in one way or another.
He also described his previous political involvement. He said he had served as a former member of the party’s national by-election committee and had been a candidate for the position of senior joint convener of the volunteer wing at the 4th Model Gaula Union. He said he was most recently serving as vice-president of the Agailjhara upazila unit of the Zia Cyber Force.
Saddam is currently living and working in Saudi Arabia. In his statement, he described himself as an expatriate worker and remittance contributor and said he had found it increasingly difficult to remain involved in politics given the current political environment in Bangladesh.
He did not, however, make any specific allegation against the BNP. Instead, he expressed continued respect for the party and said that his decision should not be interpreted as a complaint against its leadership.
Saddam said he remained inspired by the political ideals of Ziaur Rahman and expressed his affection for former BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and the party’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman. He also reaffirmed his attachment to the BNP, despite deciding to leave political activities altogether.
Announcing his resignation from politics, Saddam said he would no longer be associated with any political party. He made the declaration while standing before the Holy Kaaba and asked friends, supporters and well-wishers to pray for him.
His announcement has drawn attention among local BNP supporters in Agailjhara, particularly because he made it publicly through social media rather than submitting a formal resignation to the relevant organisational authorities.
Molla Bashir Ahmed Panna, member secretary of the Agailjhara upazila BNP, said he was not aware of Saddam’s decision before seeing the announcement. He noted that Saddam had been living in Saudi Arabia for a long time because of his employment.
Panna said the reasons behind Saddam’s decision would need to be examined, including whether any personal dispute or dissatisfaction had influenced him. He also questioned why Saddam had chosen to make the announcement through a social media video without submitting a written resignation.
As of Tuesday, there was no indication that a formal resignation had been submitted to the local BNP leadership. The political status of Saddam’s organisational position may therefore depend on whether he subsequently communicates his decision officially to the party authorities.
For now, his public declaration marks a personal withdrawal from political activity, while the precise circumstances behind the decision remain unclear.
