‘Taking sides in other parties’ internal disputes goes against principles’: AB Party suspends Cumilla convener over Jamaat office clash

Amar Bangladesh (AB) Party today (15 October) suspended its Cumilla unit convener, Golam Mohammad Samadani, over suspected involvement in vandalising a Jamaat-e-Islami leader’s vehicle during a meeting to form a new committee held yesterday.

The decision was announced in a notice signed by the party’s central office secretary, Advocate Abdullah Al Mamun Rana, this evening. The notice also asked Samadani to explain why he should not be permanently expelled from the party.

In its notice, the AB Party said it believed in political decency, mutual respect and tolerance, adding that involvement in or taking sides in other political parties’ internal disputes went against its principles.

It also urged leaders and activists at all levels to remain aware of and act responsibly on the issue.

However, the notice did not specify the reasons for Samadani’s suspension. But party sources said the decision followed allegations that he had become involved in an internal dispute within Cumilla city unit of Jamaat.

Mia Mohammad Toufiq, convener of AB Party’s Cumilla district unit, told The Business Standard that Samadani was temporarily relieved of his duties for several reasons, including alleged criticism of the party on social media and suspicion of his involvement in yesterday’s vandalism at the Jamaat office in Cumilla.

He also said Samadani had been issued a notice as part of the party’s decision-making process.

Contacted over the allegations, Samadani said he was not present at the scene when the incident took place.

“I was at Cumilla Tower at the time,” he told TBS.

Yesterday evening, several youths entered the Jamaat’s Cumilla city unit office during a meeting and disrupted the proceedings. As they left, they vandalised a car parked outside. The vehicle belonged to Mahabubur Rahman, the party’s Cumilla city unit secretary.

CCTV footage obtained by this correspondent shows a masked youth vandalising the vehicle with a sharp weapon.

Jamaat Cumilla city unit Ameer Kazi Din Mohammad confirmed that youths had disrupted the meeting and vandalised a vehicle, adding that Jamaat was investigating the incident.