Durgapur (Rajshahi) Correspondent

Leaders and activists following the leaders who were denied nominations have blocked the highway and held a sit-in program demanding that the nomination of BNP's potential nominated candidate Professor Nazrul Islam Mondal in Rajshahi-5 (Puthia-Durgapur) Constituency be changed.

The program was held at Shibpur Bazar area on the Rajshahi-Natore highway around 5 pm on Tuesday. 

Due to the sit-in, all types of traffic on the highway were closed for about 30 minutes, causing inconvenience to ordinary passengers, including long-distance buses.

The aggrieved leaders and activists alleged that Professor Nazrul Islam Mondal is an "ineligible candidate". They claimed that he had contested the 1996 parliamentary elections with the television symbol instead of the paddy sheaf. They also alleged that he had "colluded" with the then Awami League candidate Dr. Mansur Rahman by filing a writ petition in the High Court against the party's nominated candidate in the 2018 parliamentary elections. The leaders and activists claim that the central BNP had also given him a show-cause notice for this allegation.

The leaders and activists also said that Nazrul Islam Mandal has not come anywhere near the party's programs for the past 17 years. 

The aggrieved leaders claim that there are several worthy candidates in the Puthia-Durgapur constituency who have endured lawsuits, attacks and torture during the party's difficult times. If any one of them is nominated, BNP leaders and activists can work together to ensure victory in this constituency.

They demanded that the central BNP change its candidate immediately. Among those present at the meeting were Durgapur Upazila BNP member Golam Morshed Shibli, Puthia Upazila BNP former general secretary Munsur Rahman Master, former organizing secretary Rafiqul Islam, Baneshwar Union BNP former organizing secretary Palan Sardar, Jubo Dal former organizing secretary Nazmul Huda Babu, Durgapur Municipality BNP former president Abdul Aziz Mandal, general secretary Mainul Islam Ranju, Jubo Dal former convener Choen Uddin Sheikh, Jubo Dal former vice-president Engineer Kawsar Ali, Durgapur Chhatra Dal convener Emon Ahmed Suman and Puthia Chhatra Dal member secretary Mehedi Hasan Jewel, among others.