The rival feuding groups are led by Gaibandha JP president Abdur Rashid Sarker and general secretary Sarwar Hossain Shaheen, who enjoys the blessing of local lawmaker and party Presidium member TIM Fazley Rabbi Chowdhury.

The feud intensified as Sarker and Shaheen are trying to have their men in the committees.

The feud surfaced when Shaheen, allegedly on advice of Rabbi, formed a 51-member committee of Sadullapur upazila unit recently with Azizul Islam Bsc as its convener without consulting Sarker, party sources said.

Soon after, Sarker formed another committee in Sadullapur with Abdul Kader Mia as its convener. The rival committees held separate press conferences, where Azizul Islam and Abdul Kader Mia claimed to be convener of Sadullapur JP unit.

The same thing also happened in Gaibandha Sadar where Shaheen formed a committee with Mezbahul Islam Lablu as convener. To counter this, Sarker also formed another committee with Shajahan Khan Abu as its convener.

As the difference between the district president and secretary widened, party central secretary ABM Ruhul Amin Hawlader issued a show cause notice on Shaheeen and restrained him from party activities. This will further widen the rift, party sources told this correspondent.