Awami League fails to placate its allies in 14-party

Awami League failed to thaw the relations with its 14-party allies despite holding two meetings within a fortnight. The alliance partners of the ruling party hold on to their stance that they were snubbed during the last general election and won’t go for any joint movement as long as the AL does not address the issue.

The allies made this stance clear during a 14-party meeting at the residence of the alliance’s coordinator and senior AL leader Amir Hossain Amu on Tuesday. Earlier on 23 May, the alliance convened a meeting at Ganabhaban with Awami League president and prime minister Sheikh Hasina in chair.

Sources said the ruling AL wants to throw a joint programme against ‘conspiracies’ of BNP and foreign powers. But the alliance partners first want AL to clear the air and answer some questions about the alleged mishandling of the commitment with them during the last general elections.

Several sources from yesterday’s meeting informed that Workers Party chief Rashed Khan Menon told the meeting that they had raised many questions during the meeting with the PM minister and had yet to get answers to many of them. He asked how the alliance could proceed without the questions being answered.

Menon also accused AL of insufficient support and seat sharing during 7 January elections. Menon wanted assurance from the ruling party that it would not repeat such behaviour in future.

The sources also said that Menon told the meeting there are more controversial big shots such as former army chief Aziz Ahmed and former IGP Benazir Ahmed. Speaking against those persons would hurt the government. Also, addressing issues such as price hike and corruption will also go against the government.

Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal’s (Jasad) president Hasanul Haque Inu also made various complaints in the meeting. Inu alleged that he was defeated in a planned way in the last parliamentary election. Mentioning a name of the central AL leader, Inu said he won’t join any programme of the alliance where that ruling party leader joins.  

14-party sources said Jatiya Party’s (JP) Anwar Hossain Monju usually does not speak at the meeting of the alliance but he raised the question yesterday that if the 14-party alliance is still relevant given the strength of AL.

Monju said AL speaks of ideology but a son of a Rajakar (anti-liberation force) is the leader of the ruling party in his area.

He made a similar complaint regarding the last general election, alleging his defeat was orchestrated using the law enforcers.

Tariqat Foundation chairman Nazibul Bashar Maizbhandari and some other leaders of the 14-party alliance also criticized the last general election and said they knew how it was conducted. AL ensured victory of Kalyan Party’s chairman Mohammad Ibrahim, and assisted ‘King’s parties’ in various ways but it did not keep its commitment to 14-party alliance partners, the leaders alleged.

At one point, Amu retorted that the PM had answered some questions raised by the allies and all problems will be resolved if the alliance can move forward with joint programmes.

Then the alliance leaders raised the issue of answers to all their queries. Liberation War affairs secretary Mrinal Kanti Das intervened at one point saying that the AL general secretary will hold another meeting with the allies in the middle of this month after he returns from his upcoming tour abroad for treatment.

After the meeting, Amu said there would soon be a meeting of 14-party leaders to resolve the crisis emanating from the last general election.
He added that the alliance will roll out programmes after Eid ul Fitr.