Hemayet Hossain :
Veteran freedom fighter Alhaj Abu Ahmed Mannafi and Humayun Kabir have been elected President and General Secretary of Bangladesh Awami League (AL), Dhaka South City Unit while Sheikh Bazlur Rahman and SM Mannan Kochi got the same posts of the North Unit of the organisation respectively at the Triennial Council of the AL at the historic Suhrawardy Udyan in the city on Saturday.
General Secretary of Bangladesh Awami League and Minister for Road Transport and Bridges Obaidul Quader announced the name of the presidents and general secretaries of the two city nits at the second session of the Council at the Institution of Engineers Bangladesh (IEB).
In the Dhaka South Unit, the newly elected President Alhaj Abu Ahmed Mannafi was Senior Vice-President of Dhaka South City Unit. He is also the Councilor of Ward No 38, Wari area while General Secretary Humayun Kabir was General Secretary of Lalbagh Thana Awami League. He is also the Councilor of Ward No 23, Lalbagh area in Old Dhaka.
In the Dhaka North Unit, the newly elected President Sheikh Bazlur Rahman was Vice-President of the same unit while SM Mannan Kochi was the First Joint Secretary of Awami Swecchhasebak League.
The last Councils of both the units were held on April 10, 2016, where AKM Rahmatullah and Sadek Khan were elected President and General Secretary of Dhaka North, while Abul Hasnat and Shah Alam Murad became President and General Secretary of Dhaka South Unit respectively.
On September 11 of the same year, Dhaka North Unit declared the names of presidents and general secretaries of 26 thanas, 46 wards, and nine unions, while Dhaka South unit declared the names of presidents and general secretaries of 23 thanas and 57 wards.
However, both city units’ leaders failed to complete the full-fledged committee.
Awami League central leaders also tried several times to form the committees, but failed due to inner conflicts among the city leaders.
There are allegations that the top level management, especially the General Secretaries of the two committees, sheltered BNP-Jamaat members, and gave them posts in committees, along with their relatives, while seasoned and devoted leaders were dropped from the committees.
These newly elected presidents and secretaries will form committees of different units of the city AL with leaders of the party who have clean images and dedicated to the party, sources said.
Earlier in the morning, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, also President of Bangladesh Awami League, formally inaugurated the Council as the Chief Guest by hoisting the national flag and releasing pigeons and balloons in the air.
