AL central working body meet: Ministers under fire

Seven Ministers of the Awami League government came under fire in the party central working committee meeting held on Saturday at its Dhanmondi political office.
They are Finance Minister A M A Muhit, Commerce Minister Farooq Khan, Law Minister Shafiq Ahmed, Foreign Minister Dipu Moni and Water Resources Minister Ramesh Chandra Sen and State Minister for Home Affairs Tanjim Ahmed Sohel Taj.
Kazi Zafarullah, a senior Awami League leader while addressing the meeting said, the foreign ministry needed a regular spokesman like India and Pakistan. Dipu Moni and Hasan Mahmud are exposed due to their inept handling of the foreign policy.
Even they did not know what they were to say or not. Dipu Moni who has propensity to stay abroad had little time to deal with home issues. Her inconsistent utterances on extra-judicial killings evoked sharp reaction from both home and abroad. She received kudos at an international rights conference in Geneva when she remarked that extra-judicial killing would no longer be allowed in Bangladesh. But on return home, in another context she said it would take time to stop extra-judicial killings as they inherited it from the past regimes. But she could not ascertain how many days they require to stop it finally. Her statement came in a press conference after killing of two polytechnic students in Manik Mia Avenue in RAB action.
Dr Dipu Moni who, unlike British Minister Carolene Flint, does not consider herself as little more than female window dressing defended her position.
Mahmudur Rahman Manna, Party Organising Secretary said, Water Resources Minister Ramesh Chandra Sen has failed to spell out government policy on Tipaimukh Dam which the Indian High Commissioner Pinak Ranjan claimed it not being an irrigation project like Farakka.
Sen must have a definite idea before opening his mouth on Tipaimukh Dam in which ministers often contradict each other while stating government position. Muhit, Enamul Karim Mustafa and Nahid – all Sylhet born ministers – are seen expressing solidarity with mainstream fight against Indian bid to build the Tipaimukh Dam.
Awami League General Secretary Abdul Jalil, who appeared to have withdrawn from frontline politics, was absent in the working committee meeting. Party insiders said, a number of working committee members were in favour of resolving the issue centering party General Secretary Jalil. They said, party workers were directionless as they did not know whom they were to go to in time of need.
Saber Chowdhury said, the Human Rights Commission was not given legal validity as the law was not enacted in the Parliament. Senior Awami League leader, Tofail Ahmed said, the majority of Ministers are seen harping in old tunes while the official spokesman of the Government and the Party Syed Ashraful Islam remains silent. Some of the ministers seem to be jack of all trades but they really are master of none. AL joint secretary Mukul Bose accused left lenient Matia Chowdhury of harbouring her erstwhile comrades isolating true Awami Leaguers. Law Minister Barrister Shafique Ahmed was no exception. He has made attorney services a no-Awami League Zone. He was made law minister at the instance of an individual. PM Hasina reacting to Mukul Bose’s remark said, she has appointed him law minister because he was the only lawyer who came to defend her in the legal battle in the higher judiciary during emergency.
Shafiq Ahmed known as non-Awami Leaguer was not present in the working committee meeting.
Finance Minister Muhit came under barrage of attacks from the working committee members for his pre-budget disclosures. It was due to him that the prices of the luxury cars had shot up as he said import duty on this item will go up.
The budget provisions are no longer a guarded issue as Muhit was habituated to open discussion.
Tofael Ahmed rebuked Faruk Khan for his reckless statement on BDR mutiny. He discovered JMB connection with the BDR mutiny but his notion was rejected by the Government appointed inquiry committee.
Sheikh Fazlul Karim booked a number of ministers for transgressing their boundaries. They are not supposed to talk on every issue. Some ministers often made irrelevant statements.
The evaluation of the performances of some ministers came at the AL CWC meet at the expiry of five months of the formation of the Mahajote government. The party Chief earlier warned the ministers that some of them will be definitely axed after mandatory scrutiny.

Courtesy of The New Nation