At present, dedicated leaders and workers of the party are totally frustrated.

'Top party posts are being held by same persons for years together. There should be a change. Dynamic leadership should come to strengthen the party and the ongoing oust-government agitation, told a district-level leader seeking anonymity.

AL Organising Secretary Abdul Mannan, at a special extended meeting here on December 26 last year, asked the district-level leaders to hold the party council within January this year. But it was also postponed due to internal feud, according to party insiders.

Party leaders and activists are now divided into two groups. A group is backed by the district convener of the party Md Altaf Hossain and the other group by local lawmaker Prof MS Akbar.

Initially the internal party feud surfaced in January last year when two rival factions clashed during party councils at several upazilas and unions. Both factions wanted their men in leadership at different levels, party sources told The Daily Star.

At least 14 incidents of clashes took place between the rival groups here last year.

After the clashes, party high command summoned top leaders to resolve the disputes.

Party chief Sheikh Hasina, at a meeting with the leaders at the party central office on March 8 last year, asked to work together and to hold the Magura district council of the party on March 31. She also threatened to dissolve the district convening committee.

But her instruction went unheeded and the party in-fighting intensified. Because of internal feud, committees in eight unions of Sreepur upazila could not be formed which is essential for holding the district council.

Finally Magura district AL was divided into two factions on September 7 last year.

The division came to light when the two rival factions brought out separate processions in the town protesting the August 21 grenade attack on party chief Sheikh Hasina's rally in Dhaka.

However, party convener Altaf Hossain denied intra-party conflict and told this correspondent that the council could not be held due to the ongoing anti-government agitation and ruling party's torture on party leaders and activists. A new date of the council would be announced soon, he added.