Political tension in Cumilla has reached an unusual pitch as two competing factions of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) insist on holding separate programmes at the historic Town Hall ground, despite a formal prohibition from the district authorities. What began as a routine request for venue allocation has escalated into a vivid portrayal of the BNP’s internal rivalry within the Cumilla-6 constituency.
The conflict centres around Thursday, a day chosen by both factions for their respective events. Monirul Haque Chowdhury, adviser to the BNP Chairperson and the party’s preliminary nominee for the constituency, declared his intention to hold a major public rally at the Town Hall. Meanwhile, supporters of fellow nomination aspirant and Chairperson’s adviser Amin-ur-Rashid (Yasin) scheduled a religious prayer gathering at the same venue on the same day to pray for the health of Khaleda Zia and Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman.
The simultaneous preparations—construction of stages, setting up of tents and positioning of party banners—transformed the field into a contested arena. Local BNP politics became increasingly strained, with the possibility of direct confrontation looming.
The district administration intervened, forwarding both venue applications to the police’s Special Branch for a risk assessment. According to Additional District Magistrate Mohammad Zafar Sadiq Chowdhury, the Special Branch’s intelligence report warned of a high likelihood of disorder if two rival groups of the same party were allowed to hold events side by side. As a result, the authorities declined both applications and issued written notices forbidding the use of the Town Hall ground.
They also advised the groups to shift their programmes to alternative locations and cautioned that any breach of the instruction would be met with legal measures.
Yet, defiance remained the dominant mood. On Wednesday night, Monirul Haque Chowdhury visited the venue with supporters, inspecting the arrangements. Shortly afterwards, Amin-ur-Rashid’s loyalists also occupied the ground, signalling that neither faction had any intention of backing down. Party sources confirmed that both groups stayed on site until nearly midnight.
Monirul’s legal representative, Abdul Motaleb Mazumdar, reiterated that their rally would proceed at the Town Hall regardless of the administrative decision. In a similar tone, Safiul Alam (Raihan), General Secretary of BNP’s Adarsha Sadar Upazila unit and applicant on behalf of Amin-ur-Rashid, pledged to hold their prayer gathering at the same venue.
This standoff did not materialise overnight. The BNP’s announcement of 237 prospective candidates on 3 November—naming Monirul Haque Chowdhury for Cumilla-6—intensified competition within the local party ranks. Amin-ur-Rashid’s supporters have since been organising frequent programmes, creating a parallel display of influence.
As the situation stands, Cumilla’s political landscape is bracing for further friction, with both factions steadfast in their resolve and the authorities preparing for any breach of order.