AL ready to hold council meeting by July 25

The ruling Awami League is fully prepared to hold its long-awaited national council by July 25, the deadline fixed by the Election Commission to submit amended versions of constitutions of the political parties in compliance with the updated representation of the people’s order (RPO).
The date and time of the party’s national council will be announced soon. But, prior to that a team of Awami League representatives will meet the Election Commission to discuss the issue.
A decision in this regard was taken at an emergency meeting of the Awami League presidium held at the political office of party president Sheikh Hasina at Dhanmondi in the city yesterday.
Senior member of Awami League presidium Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury chaired the meeting.
Briefing reporters on the resolutions adopted at the meeting, Awami League office secretary and state minister for housing and works Advocate Abdul Mannan Khan said a team of Awami League representatives including its presidium members and some central leaders would meet the Election Commission at 11 am on July 16 to discuss the matter relating to holding of the party’s national council.
“After the discussion between the EC and the Awami League team, the date and time of the party’s national council would be finalised at another meeting of the presidium, which would be chaired by party president and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,” Advocate Abdul Mannan Khan said adding that there is a possibility of convening the next meeting of the party presidium within a couple of days.
He said Awami League has already taken all sorts of preparations to hold its national council ahead of the stipulated time. “For this we are now proceeding with whatever is needed,” Advocate Abdul Mannan Khan said.
He added that the Constitution of Awami League, which was amended prior to the general election, would be submitted to the Election Commission after approval at the party’s national council.
A decision was taken at the meeting of Awami League presidium on July 4 that the party would request the Election Commission for six month’s time extension to organise its national council.
When asked about the decision taken earlier in this regard, Advocate Abdul Mannan Khan said, “Though the party had taken such a decision earlier, it has now been changed.”
Prior to the AL’s national council, he said committees in nine district units of the party, where councils were not held, would be completed.  If required, steps would be taken expeditiously by forming teams of party’s central leaders to complete the councils of the nine district units of the party.
Sources close to the meeting confided to this correspondent that a five-member team of Awami League central leaders would meet the Election Commission on July 16 to discuss the probable date for holding of the national council of the party.
AL presidium members Amir Hossain Amu, Tofail Ahmed, Suranjit Sengupta and Kazi Zafarullah and party spokesman Syed Ashraful Islam are the members of the team, the sources added.
UNB adds: After the meeting today (Friday), Awami league presidium member Amir Hossain Amu MP said they do not like to take the blame for failing to hold the party council and submit the amended the constitution to the election commission by the deadline.
“It’s possible to hold the council within this time,” he told UNB over phone.
Asked whether they expect new leadership of the party through the council, Amu said: “Such thinking may not come at this council.” Awami League’s last council session was held in December 2002.  Amu said political turmoil and natural calamities had prevented the party from holding the council in due time.
 Awami League sources said councils of the party’s nine organizational districts were not held yet and the process of holding the councils for these districts is likely to start from this week. Besides, 11 districts have no full-fledged committees.
AL presidium members Amir Hossain Amu, Tofail Ahmed, Suranjit Sengupta, Kazi Zafarullah and Ataur Rahman Khan Kaiser attended the meeting.
 
Courtesy of The Indpendent