AL goes to council, ignores constitution

The ruling Awami League is violating its own constitution by keeping General Secretary Abdul Jalil aloof from the process of holding its July 24 national council, which has sparked strong criticism among many party leaders.
The AL constitution empowers its general secretary to convene the party’s national council upon orders or approval of the party president.
Abdul Jalil was elected the AL general secretary at the party’s last council held on December 26, 2002.
However, Jalil was not allowed to discharge his duties regarding the upcoming national council, which has clearly frustrated the veteran politician, and a number of leaders close to Jalil said he might resign as general secretary ahead of the long due event.
A number of senior AL leaders even predict that Jalil might not be allowed to place the report of the general secretary at the council.
The general secretary’s report is being prepared at AL President Sheikh Hasina’s political office at Dhanmondi, said party leaders involved with the task. It was learnt that AL’s Research and Information Secretary Nuh-ul-Alam Lenin is drafting the report.
On July 13, the AL Presidium suddenly decided to hold the party council on July 24 to ratify the provisional changes in its constitution to comply with the electoral laws on party registration as well as elect new office bearers.
Insiders said the party chief is still annoyed with Jalil for the comments he made while in custody during the last caretaker government rule, even saying Sheikh Hasina runs the party in an “autocratic” manner.
After his release before the ninth parliamentary election, Jalil was given the charge of general secretary but he was not allowed to function.
Annoyed at the situation, Jalil criticised the party leadership and the government on several occasions and said the party constitution was violated for not letting him act as general secretary.
AL Presidium member Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury on Friday claimed that the party did not engage Jalil in the process of holding the council “because of his illness”.
But talking to The Daily Star over telephone from his parliamentary constituency in Naogaon, Jalil yesterday said, “I am not ill at all. I am attending all party meetings and now carrying out public relations in my constituency.
“What should I do to prove that I am not ill?” he said. Jalil left Dhaka for Naogaon on Thursday night and is scheduled to return today.
AL Joint General Secretary and LGRD Minister Syed Ashraful Islam is coordinating the process of holding the national council although the party constitution does not allow him to do so.
According to the AL constitution, if the general secretary is absent from work, his/her functions and responsibilities shall be vested in the joint general secretaries in order of their names. In this case, AL’s first Joint General Secretary Obaidul Quader was supposed to coordinate the council as acting general secretary. But Obaidul has been made convenor of the council management sub-committee.
Many party leaders said they do not know how much money is being spent for holding the council and how the fund is being managed.
A few mid-level leaders claimed that party leaders and workers are donating to the fund.
According to the AL constitution, the total fund of the organisation is supposed to be entrusted with the treasurer, who will operate party accounts under joint signatures with the party president and disburse funds upon written receipts from the general secretary.
Party leaders said Jalil is not giving any such receipts.
The situation centring Jalil has annoyed many AL leaders who said the party president should not have made the general secretary ineffective because it has sent a wrong signal through the party’s chain of command and nobody will dare to speak freely in the future.
They said Jalil too should not have made such comments against the government and the party.

Courtesy of The Daily Star