Changes in Awami League
Reform going on without ‘reformists’
Sahidul Islam Rana
The much-talked reform in the political parties – especially in ruling Awami League and BNP – is going on keeping out the so called ‘reformists’ leaders aside.
The heavyweight political leaders of the two arch-rival political parties, who raised their strong voices against their central leaderships in the name of ‘political reform and restoration of intra-party democracy’ during the erstwhile army-backed Caretaker Government, are virtually ostracized.
The ruling party AL has shown its party’s qualitative changes through giving party’s nomination in the 29th Parliamentary election and later in the Cabinet of the AL-led Grand Alliance government.
Considering the overall activities of some key ‘reformists’ leaders, the Prime Minster and AL President Sheikh Hasina gave the whole nation a surprise by forming a 32-member Cabinet, where some 27 are new faces, selected from the party’s grassroots level.
Although this candidate-selection process for the elections to the Parliamentary and other levels was mentioned in the AL Constitution, it was not followed before December 29 polls. As part of the reform initiatives taken by the Election Commission, all political parties were compelled to abide by the rules prior to their party registration.
According to party insiders, young, energetic and new faces might be drawn in the central committee through party’s national council likely to be held at the end of March this year. With a view to metarialising the vision 2021, such revitalisation would be brought in AL, one of the country’s oldest political parties.
As preliminary, Hasina did not give nomination to some party leaders – including Mahamudur Rhaman Manna, Sultan Mohammad Mansur, Akhtaruzzaman, Prof Abu Syed, AKM Jahangir Hossain. Besides newly elected MP Saber Hossain Chowdhury lost his post of Political Secretary to Sheikh Hasina.
Sources said AL-led grand alliance after their landslide victory, brought changes in the cabinet giving party men of clean image portfolios. No individuals, either convicted or facing corruption charges were made members of the cabinet. On the other hand, Hasina’s new government also made six whips, five of them are very new but popular in their respective constituencies.
No senior leaders were available to make any comment in this regard.
Asked about the prevailing situation, one of the party key leaders said to The Bangladesh Today, “What our party Chief has done is all right. I congratulate the new Cabinet members. Whatever the decision of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina would be, we would extend our whole-hearted cooperation for the interest of the party.”
Here it is mentioned the Prime Minster Sheikh Hasina gave due honour to those leaders on the occasion of Sheikh Mujib’s Homecoming Day’s discussion. The senior party leaders were seen on the dais while no cabinet members, except two ministers- AL Presidium Member Begum Matia Chowdhury and AL Spokesman Syed Ashraful Islam – were seen on the day.
According to party insiders, these leaders -who have a lot of contribution in the AL and for country pre and post Independence – will be honored in running the party. They will be also given seats in the front of the treasury bench in the upcoming Parliament likely to resume on January 25.
The senior leaders – Amir Hossain Amu, Abdur Razzak, Tofail Ahmed and Suranjit Sengupta – will be given key posts in different parliamentary committees to gear up the party activities. Besides, the influential AL Working Committee Members who were also kept outside the cabinet will also be evaluated later, sources added.
Courtesy: thebangladeshtoday.com
