In the ongoing 20th council of the ruling Awami League, the councillors have decided to request Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to continue as party President for another term apparently finding no other alternative to the party’s top post.
Several councillors, those came from different organizing districts, while talking to The New Nation on Saturday, said that the popularity of Sheikh Hasina is high among the grassroots level and they do not want “an alternative” to the post at this moment.
Not only that, the party leaders raised demand for her staying as “lifelong” party president, though Sheikh Hasina, who has been running the party for last 35 years, urged the leaders and activists several times to choose a new leader as AL President. The “message” was given clearly in the opening day of 20th council when incumbent General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam announced: “Jononetri [people’s leader] Sheikh Hasina will lead the party [AL] as long as she is alive.”
The second crucial post of party’s General Secretary, which is now holding by Public Administration Minister Syed Ashraful Islam, may go for balloting, if Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader does not stop lobbying, some leaders opined.
“If there is more than one candidate in any post, it will be decided by voting. At first, the councillors will go for negotiation. If it is failed, the ballots will decide their fates,” AL joint secretary Zahangir Kabir Nank said.
On the other hand, clarifying his stance Syed Ashraf yesterday said: “There was no ‘ism’ in the party during my tenures for consecutive two terms… I’m son of the AL.”
At the same time, there is a hard competition for some vital posts, including joint secretary, organizing secretary and members of presidium and advisory council. The name of country’s first Prime Minister Tajuddin Ahmed’s son Sohel Taj-who is also a councillor – is now in discussion among the party men as an aspirant of joint secretary.
Today’s second day crucial council at Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh will decide the fate of leaders, either in voting or through negotiation. Out of 83 posts, eleven posts are now remained vacant. Apart from them, there may be changes in some important posts, the party sources said.
“Everything depends on PM Sheikh Hasina. Especially, the fate of general secretary post depends upon her decision. Nobody knows who will be the General Secretary, Syed Ashraf or Obaidul Quader,” Juba Mohila League General Secretary Apu Ukil told The New Nation Saturday night.
The councillors and delegates, however, wanted a new committee comprising experienced and fresh blood by bringing changes in different tiers of the party, especially in the policy making level.
At the same time, the grassroots leaders and activists wanted specific guidelines from the party high-command about next general election to be held in 2019. But the desire of grassroots leaders had rarely reflected in the previous councils of AL, where most of the time party chief’s decision was followed in selecting new leaders, including the party’s general secretary. The grassroots leaders never could play a significant role in electing committee members.
Notably, the councillors this time wanted PM’s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy in a vital post of the party and requested Sheikh Hasina to take a decision in this regard, insiders said. Joy, who is also a councillor, joined the afternoon session of the council yesterday. In fact, the leadership of AL and main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party [BNP] are facing same problem-“hierarchy of leadership”. It has become impossible to include anyone in the top posts of both parties, except members of Mujib or Zia families due to absence of democracy in the party.
In the recently held council, BNP chief Khaleda Zia chose party leaders as her own desire; there was no voting of councillors. Political analysts say the scenario is almost same for AL also. Nobody can win the important posts, including general secretary, without the blessings of Sheikh Hasina. As per party constitution, the AL president holds supreme power, which is not challengeable. So, the balloting is nothing but an eyewash, they further say.
Remarkably, there is lack of political courtesy too among the parties. The leaders of big two parties [AL and BNP] never joined other’s council and following the tradition, the BNP cancelled its decision to join AL’s 20th council at eleventh hour.
Leader of the Opposition Rawshan Ershad, however, expressed her greetings on the eve of AL council before her departure for Geneva to attend 135th assembly of IPU [inter-parliamentary union] at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Saturday.
When there is absence of democracy in the parties, the AL against this backdrop has declared its political theme: “development first democracy next”.
In the 13th council at Eden Garden in 1981, Sheikh Hasina was elected party president while Abdur Razzak was selected as general secretary. She was made president in all six councils, and going to be the AL president for the seventh consecutive tenure. She is the longest standing president of the party in the last 67 years since its birth in 1949.
But there were changes in the post of general secretary for many times.
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was elected party president in the sixth council in 1966 when Tajuddin Ahmed was made general secretary. He became party president again in the ninth council after independence of Bangladesh in 1972 where Zillur Rahman was made general secretary.
Mujib had to quit the post of president in 1974 due to amendment of party constitution to keep the prime minister out of the party and AHM Quamruzzaman and Tajuddin Ahmed were made president and general secretary in the 10th council.
