AL to hold meetings in Ramadan to minimize internal conflict at grassroots

The ruling Awami League will start reorganising the party in the aftermath of the 12th parliamentary election. AL central leaders will hold meetings to exchange views with leaders of districts and upazila units throughout the month of Ramadan to bridge the gap created in the party centering the national election on 7 January. The party will also take preparation for upazila parishad election and update the expired committees in grassroots.

AL sources said that party reorganisation may begin across the country after the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr. District and upazila or other levels, which are yet to form full-fledged committees in councils, will get full committees. Before this process begins, meetings to exchange views will be held during Ramadan as part of the preparations.

Sources said the AL general secretary will hold meetings with district-upazila level leaders every day before noon in Ramadan. Resolving the division created centering the national elections, planning for the upcoming upazila elections and holding councils where committees were expired are likely to be tabled during these meetings. Apart from this, the units that are yet to form full-fledged committees will be urged to complete the process.

AL has convened a meeting of secretaries at its central office in city’s Bangabandhu Avenue today. The sources said the issue of drumming up organizational activities might be discussed at the meeting that will be chaired by Obaidul Quader.

AL joint general secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim told Prothom Alo the restructuring of the party will begin in full swing after the Eid and preparatory work will be done during the month of Ramadan.

He said, the work of organising the party is an ongoing process. However, due to various reasons including the election, attention could not be paid to in the last one year. The ruling party will now focus on organising the party.

AL’s councils at grassroots level had begun before the national council in 2019. However, the councils at all district and upazila levels could not be completed before December, 2022. By this time, committees of different units have already expired. In this situation, new councils are going to be arranged to reorganize the party.

The ruling party had started councils across the country at the beginning of last year but had to halt the process due to the movement of opposition parties. The party kept the opposition parties at bay by taking to the streets. AL has ensured a landslide victory of the party in 12th general election held amid boycott by BNP and other opposition parties. As opposition parties are yet to focus on waging street movement, AL leadership considers this as the best time to reorganise the party.
AL has a total of 78 organisational districts. Of them, 69 units held their council. However, around half of the district committees have expired while the deadlines for council in upazila and union levels are also drawing near. Some committees of front and associate organisations have also expired.  

AL’s Dhaka city south and north units have the authority of organizational districts. The councils of these two important units were held for the last time on 30 November in 2019. The units got full-fledged committees later but the thanas and wards did not get committees although councils of these units were held earlier. The terms of the triennial committees have already expired. The full-fledged committees of the ward and thana units might be announced after Eid. AL leaders said that the councils of the main committee might be held later on time.

As per AL’s constitution, councilors and representatives in the national council have to be elected. That’s why the expired committees are updated after the national council. The leaders, however, said the party can never update committees at all levels.

The ruling AL will also do ‘social activities’ during the holy month of Ramadan. The party will distribute iftar items among destitute people in Dhaka and outside during Ramadan and will gift Eid items in the last week of the month.

Abiding by the direction of the party chief Sheikh Hasina, AL has decided to forgo large iftar congregations this time. The party will distribute iftar items to the poor instead of holding iftar parties. The party leadership thinks this initiative will uplift the image among the people who are suffering due to the high price of essentials.