A fresh controversy has emerged within Bangladesh’s ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) after the son of former BNP secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain was accused of forcibly taking control of the Motalib Plaza Shop Owners’ Association in Dhaka’s Elephant Road commercial area.
Several traders and market leaders alleged that Khandaker Akhter Hamid Khan Paban, son of the late BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain, along with Shah Alam, a former president of the Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Krishak Dal’s Munshiganj Sadar upazila unit, entered the market complex on Saturday evening with a large group of outsiders and attempted to impose a new committee without holding elections.
They assaulted traders who opposed the move, several businessmen told The Voice.
The incident reportedly took place around 7:00 p.m. on Saturday at the electronics and mobile accessories market located in the capital’s Shahbagh area, triggering tensions among traders and leading to complaints being filed with police from both sides.
Acting president of the Motalib Plaza Shop Owners’ Association, Mahbubur Rahman Bachchu, filed a written complaint with Shahbagh Police Station early Sunday accusing Paban, Shah Alam and 100 to 150 unidentified individuals of assault, intimidation and attempted forceful occupation of the association.
“Paban and Shah Alam had been trying to grab the market association committee since the ouster of Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government on August 5, 2024,” Bachchu told journalists after filing the complaint. “In September 2024, Paban attempted to grab the committee but failed.”
Bachchu further alleged that Paban was using the name of senior BNP Standing Committee member and Dhaka-8 lawmaker Mirza Abbas, who is currently undergoing medical treatment in Malaysia, to legitimize the takeover attempt.
“Paban and the outsiders beat the traders and threatened to kill me,” Bachchu alleged while speaking to reporters in Dhaka on Sunday.
The allegations surfaced amid increasing reports of internal disputes, factional dominance battles and committee control struggles inside BNP-affiliated organizations and trade bodies following the political transition that began after the fall of the Awami League government in August 2024.
Paban Denies Allegations
Rejecting all allegations, Paban claimed that the new committee had been formed with the consent of Mirza Abbas and his family members.
According to Paban, Abbas’s wife Afroza Abbas and the BNP leader’s private secretary had communicated the veteran politician’s approval for a 31-member ad hoc committee naming him as president and Shah Alam as general secretary.
“All the allegations against me are false,” Paban told journalists after the incident. “We have also filed a complaint against Bachchu, as he threatened to kill me and Shah Alam by setting us on fire. He also threatened to set fire to the market and shut it down.”
Paban further claimed that his group filed a complaint with police before Bachchu’s side did.
According to his complaint, Bachchu and 15 to 20 others allegedly declared that they would not accept any committee formed with the consent of Mirza Abbas.
Efforts to independently verify whether Mirza Abbas directly approved the committee were unsuccessful. Abbas’s private secretary, Mizanur Rahman Sohel, could not be reached by phone or WhatsApp despite repeated attempts by journalists.
Police Call for Negotiation
Dhaka Metropolitan Police officials confirmed receiving complaints from both factions but said no formal criminal case had yet been filed.
Ramna Division Deputy Commissioner SK Jahidul Islam told reporters that police did not initially find sufficient grounds to register a formal case.
“Both groups are linked to the BNP and filed complaints against each other,” Jahidul Islam said while speaking to journalists in Dhaka on Sunday. “We asked both parties to settle the issue through negotiation. If the matter is not resolved, we will submit a non-FIR prosecution, as the incident involved a scuffle.”
Shahbagh Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Moniruzzaman could not be reached for comment despite repeated attempts.
Political Undercurrents
The dispute highlights growing tensions within BNP-aligned circles since the party assumed power following the February 2026 election. Political analysts and traders say control over market associations, transport unions and professional bodies has increasingly become a source of influence and patronage in Bangladesh’s evolving political environment.
Motalib Plaza, one of Dhaka’s best-known electronics and computer accessory markets, has historically seen intense competition over association leadership due to its commercial significance and influence over hundreds of traders.
The latest allegations also come at a time when opposition figures and rights observers continue to raise concerns over political violence, intimidation and the growing role of factional groups in post-election Bangladesh.
Since August 2024, Bangladesh experienced a dramatic political transition after the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, followed by an army- and Islamist-backed interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus. The February 2026 election later brought BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman’s party to power, while the Awami League was barred from contesting the polls.
Political observers say the new administration has faced mounting criticism over internal power struggles and growing competition among party-aligned groups seeking influence across business and civic institutions.
