Natore, August 10 (V7N) — The Natore district unit of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) boycotted Saturday’s inauguration of a newly built upazila stadium after claiming they were denied a meeting with Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan, despite being officially invited.
 
Tensions flared during the inauguration of the newly constructed upazila stadium in Kanaikhali, Natore, when local BNP leaders and activists were allegedly barred from entering the event venue. The BNP claims their delegation, led by district convener Rahim Newaz, had come to formally request that the stadium be named after the late Chatra Dal leader Saifuzzaman Sujon, who was killed during political clashes in 2013.
 
The boycott unfolded just after 11:00 a.m. as the event commenced with the presence of Youth and Sports Ministry Adviser Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan. BNP representatives say they had been mobilizing support for their naming proposal over the past week, placing banners and festoons in the stadium area.
 
According to BNP leaders, the group was stopped at the gate by Detective Branch (DB) police, despite Rahim Newaz reportedly receiving an invitation to the ceremony. District BNP joint convener Zillur Rahman Khan Babul Chowdhury stated, “We have been utterly humiliated. We were not carrying any provocative slogans or demands. We came peacefully and were still refused entry.”
 
District BNP member secretary Asaduzzaman Asad added, “We wanted to pay tribute to our martyr Sujon by proposing to name the stadium in his memory. This denial is politically motivated.”
 
In response, Natore DB police in-charge Hasibur Rahman said that security was tight due to the presence of high-level officials. “I allowed Rahim Newaz, the invited BNP convener, to enter. However, when a larger group of BNP activists tried to enter without clearance, we had to follow protocol as instructed,” he said. “We carried out our duties with professionalism and neutrality.”
 
The BNP has long been critical of government protocol management, claiming political bias and exclusion from public programs. This incident adds to the party’s growing list of grievances ahead of upcoming electoral activities in the region.
 
Local observers noted that while the inauguration proceeded without further disruption, the incident has highlighted ongoing political tensions at the grassroots level.
 
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