AL to announce full-fledged city committees soon

The full-fledged committees for the Awami League's (AL's) Dhaka North and South city units will be announced soon, say party insiders. The insiders also say that AL high-ups have already instructed city leaders to complete the pending council sessions of all city units, including thana and ward units, within this month. Only after completion of all necessary tasks in this regard, full-fledged committees for the party's Dhaka North and South city units will be announced. The party high command now wants to declare the committees, considering the performance of city leaders who worked hard in the recently held city civic polls.

AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader yesterday said, “We'll soon announce the full committees for the two city units.” He also said the committees of different units of Dhaka North and South would be formed with dedicated and committed leaders, especially those who had performed well in the civic body elections held on February 1.

A joint meeting was held between AL central leaders and the leaders of different city units at party President

Sheikh Hasina’s Dhanmondi political office yesterday.

AL Organising Secretary BM Mozammel Haque said that Obaidul Quader at the meeting had directed city leaders to complete necessary tasks to announce full-fledged committees for the Dhaka north and south units as soon as possible.    

Party insiders say those who were involved in corruption and illegal activities would not be inducted in the new city committees. Several city unit AL leaders, including ward councillors, were found to be involved in different illegal activities, including casino business, in the capital during the anti-corruption drive launched by law enforcement agencies on September 18.

Dhaka North city unit AL President Sheikh Bazlur Rahman said, “We’re working on the matter as per the directives of our party high command. Now, we are forming committees for different city units, including thana and ward units.”

He also said the full committees of Dhaka North and South city units would be formed with the combination of old and new faces.

Former Juba League and Chhatra League leaders would be given priority in the new committees, he added.

He further said they would form thana and ward committees by holding councils so that no one could raise any question about the new committees.   

Dhaka North city unit AL General Secretary SM Mannan Kochi said, “We have received directives to form the

full committees within 15–20 days. We will try to follow the directive.”

Earlier, AL city leaders of immediate past committees had failed to announce full committees due to internal conflicts. Though those leaders had announced full committees for both North and South city units, comprising 69 members for each unit, eventually the committees had been cancelled due to opposition from a section of party leaders and workers.

On April 10, 2016, the late Syed Ashraful Islam, then AL general secretary, had announced only the names of the presidents and secretaries of 49 thana units and 103 ward committees of the city. Abul Hasnat and Shahe Alam Murad had been made the president and general secretary for South city unit, respectively, while AKM Rahmatullah and Sadek Khan had made the president and general secretary for the North city unit, respectively, of the immediate past city committee.