AL working committee meeting skips issue of ‘relatives’ to avoid contention

There was no discussion on upcoming upazila polls during the meeting of Awami League’s central working committee to avoid any contention in front of the top leadership of the party. However, that doesn’t mean the party has pardoned the leaders whose relatives are contesting the upazila polls ignoring the party decision.

Rather the ruling party wants to review each case separately to come to a decision. Several Awami League leaders at policymaking level confirmed this to Prothom Alo.

Meanwhile, the parliamentary committee of the Awami League will hold a meeting this evening in parliament in participation with the ministers and MPs. Prime minister and AL president Sheikh Hasina is likely to give the ministers and MPs a stern message from the meeting, Awami League leaders said.

Apart from that, the prime minister can talk to the MPs and ministers, who have been accused of going against the party decisions, in person to remind them to abide by party instructions.

The AL central working committee met at the prime minister’s official residence Ganabhaban Wednesday. There were discussions that the issue of relatives of ministers and MPs taking part in the upazila polls might come up in that meeting. However, the party chief didn’t bring up the issue in the meeting. Neither did any other leader.

Earlier, on 18 April, the governing party directed the relatives of MPs and ministers to back out from upazila polls. However, almost all of them are still in the contest defying the party order.

According to the Awami League, relatives of around 50 MPs and ministers are contesting in the first phase of upazila polls. The deadline to withdraw nomination papers for the second phase of the upazila polls ended Wednesday.

According to the Prothom Alo correspondents from respective areas, relatives of three ministers and state ministers and 11 MPs are taking part in the second phase. However, the Awami League sources said the number could be higher.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, AL joint general secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim told Prothom Alo, “The party is analysing the situation at the moment. However, it is certain that punishment is inevitable for those who defied party instructions. It will be decided by the party as to when they are going to be punished.”

According to reliable Awami League sources, the central organising secretaries of the party have been communicating with the MPs and ministers over the phone to drop their relatives from the upazila polls since 18 April. They even talked to the ministers and MPs in person. But they failed to dissuade them despite repeated efforts. That is why, many central AL leaders are displeased with the accused ministers and leaders.

At the same time, some of the accused ministers are also the members of the Awami League central committees. So there was a fear of contention if the issue was raised in the meeting. The policymakers didn’t want that to happen in front of party president and prime minister Sheikh Hasina. So a message was given from the policymaking level of the party to not raise the issue during the meeting.

Awami League presidium member Shahjahan Khan faced backlashes from the party central leader as he refused to drop his son from the upazila polls. He locked into a sort of altercation with AL general secretary and bridges minister Obaidul Quader over this on 23 April at the Dhanmondi office of party chief Sheikh Hasina.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, a reliable Awami League leader said, “Close relatives of four to five central leaders are taking part in the upazila elections. Therefore, they will try to undermine each other over regional and factional clashes. So the party chief didn’t want to bring up the issue in an open forum to avoid controversy.”

He further said, “It doesn’t mean that the party has pardoned the ministers and MPs who defied the party order. Actions will be taken on time.”

Following the meeting of the AL central working committee, the party secretary faced several questions from the newspersons at the gate of the Ganabhaban, the official residence of the prime minister.

In response he said, “I won’t say anything now. We are observing the situation at the moment. I have been telling you for the last few days that actions will be taken on time. I will say the same now. We are now observing the situation deeply.”

However, the Awami League sources said the decision to order the relatives of the MPs and ministers was taken targeting some specific persons as participation of their relatives and families in the upazila polls has sparked discontent at the grassroots. They are trying to bring the entire electoral area under the control of their families. The top leadership of the party didn’t like that.

However, the determination of the accused ministers and MPs to make their families or relatives candidates in the upazila polls has further complicated the issue.

Speaking to Prothom Alo on condition of anonymity, a reliable central AL leader said, “It’s becoming tough to convince the ministers and MPs to drop their families or relatives from the upazila polls. At the same time, party discipline will be at stake if actions are not taken against them. However, the party will be flexible in cases of relatives of the ministers and MPs who won the polls previous times. The Awami League is considering serving show cause notice to others.”

* This report appeared on the print and online versions of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten in English by Ashish Basu