Jhalakathi district BNP declares Shahjahan Omar persona non grata

The BNP's expelled vice-chairman and former state minister for law Major (retd) Shahjahan Omar has been declared persona non grata by the  Jhalakathi district unit of the party, as he has submitted his nomination paper from Awami League for the Jhalakathi-1 constituency.

District BNP Member Secretary Advocate Shahadat Hossain made the announcement in a video message on Friday.

Shahadat said the central BNP, including  Jhalakathi district BNP, has become "free from garbage" as a result of Omar's actions.

"The former minister of the party has looted various benefits by using the party's post and designation when he was an MP and has always created discord and chaos in the party. The people of Jhalakathi are condemning him for being AL's candidate," he said.

The member secretary said he has already been expelled from the party for life. The Jhalakathi district BNP is also declaring him persona non grata.

Jhalakathi district BNP convening committee member Rafiqul Islam Jamal said, "The enemy of the party has been identified today. The leaders and activists are expressing their hatred for betraying the party."

Shahjahan Omar got bail from Dhaka's First Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court on Wednesday afternoon after being in jail for nearly four weeks.

After bail, Shahjahan Omar made the announcement of taking nomination paper from Awami League at a press conference at the UTC building in the capital's Karwan Bazar on Thursday evening.

He said Awami League has nominated him for Jhalakathi-1 constituency. He has submitted nomination papers online as a candidate for the boat.

Later, BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi announced the decision to expel the former state minister from the party.