Awami League General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam today said action could not be taken against 'a mentally imbalanced person' like the party veteran leader Abdul Jalil.

Ashraf, also the LGRD and Cooperatives minister, made the remark while talking to reporters after a meeting of the Awami League Central Working Committee (ALCWC) at the party president's political office in Dhanmondi.

The meeting sources however said, a number of party central leaders demanded action against its advisory council member and former general secretary Abdul Jalil, who made 'derogatory' statements about the party and election. Regarding the allegation of tender manipulation and extortion against the party leaders and activists, Ashraf said tough action would be taken against the offenders after investigation. He said, the Awami League would hold council at its all district, upazila, union, ward and city units across the country very soon. "Primary membership collection campaign of the party will also start simultaneously," he added.

Party President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina presided over the meeting. Hasina directed the party leaders and activists to help the government so that it could implement its election pledges. The new ALCWC sat today without many of its bigwigs-- Amir Hossain Amu, Abdur Razzaq, Tofail Ahmed, Abdul Jalil and Suranjit Sengupta-- for the first time after its formation in last July as they were dropped from the central committee. On the other hand, a number of new faces took part in the meeting that started this morning. The bigwigs were made members of AL advisory council, which has apparently no role in party's policy or organisational matters.

-Daily Star

ALCWC meet ends without decision on Jalil

bdnews: The Awami League's new-look Central Working Committee capped its meeting on Saturday without making any decision on former general secretary Abdul Jalil for recent remarks that touched off raging debates across the political divide.

General secretary Syed Ashraful Islam spoke to the press after the meeting ended at 3:30pm. When questioned if any measure was agreed against Jalil, Ashraf said, "No measures can be taken against an unbalanced man." He said in the beginning the meeting thanked the party leader for conducting the party council in time and addressing the United Nations General Assembly in Bangla. It decided to publicise party's election manifesto, declaration, government projects, and the education policy and also to counter the negative publicity of the four-party alliance. For that, the ruling party decided to revive the media centre and update the website, Ashraf added.

The meeting discussed organisational issues, membership renewal and ways to strengthen operations, he added. Membership forms will be printed to launch the member collection process and renewal of old membership, according to Ashraf. Decision was made to arrange an extended meeting of the party with the participation of leaders from across the country soon. The meeting finalised the programmes marking the Jail Killing Day on Nov 3. The Central Working Committee, announced on July 30, convened for the first time without Abdur Razzak, Amir Hossain Amu, Tofail Ahmed, Suranjit Sengupta and Abdul Jalil, the bigwigs who dominated the political landscape for decades.

The stalwarts were removed from the policymaking Presidium and sidelined to the advisory committee, a body without much say in the organisational matters. Party chief prime minister Sheikh Hasina presided over the meeting that started shortly after 10:30am at her political office in Dhanmondi. Presidium member Matia Chowdhury last week said the party will decide at this meeting what is to be done about the controversies former general secretary Abdul Jalil stirred through his statements in London recently.

But Syed Ashraf had hinted that the party may not take any step against Jalil. Before the meeting, a group of people distributed two leaflets saying Jalil has been involved with conspiracy against the party after meeting with Tarique Rahman, son of opposition leader Khaleda Zia, who is also in London. The activists in the leaflets asked for measures against Jalil and also criticised Amu, Razzak, Tofail and Suranjit. One of the leaflets read: "Give exemplary punishment to Jalil and others for their betrayal." Hasina was re-elected for a sixth term and Syed Ashraf general secretary for the first time in the July 24 national council.

Joint secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif, organising secretaries Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Ahmed Hossain, Mesbahuddin Siraj, AFM Bahauddin Nasim, Abu Sayeed Al Mahmud, who are newcomers in the committee, made their debut in the meeting. Disgruntled Jalil had said in interviews with bdnews24.com and London-based ethnic Bangla TV that he had made a mistake by not going against Hasina on his return to the country to protect his post during the 2007-08 caretaker government regime. He said Hasina had done injustice by putting "sycophants" members of the party in the Presidium and excluding veterans.

Jalil had said that his party reached a 'compromise deal' with the military-installed caretaker government before the Dec 29 general elections. He was assaulted by Jubo League activists in Birmingham, UK after the interview. Later, in another interview with bdnews24.com last Tuesday, he made a dramatic flip-flop on his ranting and raving against Hasina, her picks in the cabinet and party, and the general elections, and said 'sorry' for shooting his mouth off. Another presidium member, Obaidul Quader, also called for disciplinary action against Jalil. But Suranjit Sengupta, now a member of the ceremonial 20-strong advisory council, said there was little to do if someone apologises.

Hasina said last week in New York Jalil should resign from parliament before he questions the credibility of the Dec 29 elections. "Has he been elected that way? He should resign first before making such allegation," Hasina snapped. On whether the party would take any action against Jalil, Hasina said: "I don't have any headache about it." She said Jalil has been saying many things, and "let him speak." The ruling party dissolved the old committee at the national council and announced new Presidium members and secretaries six days later.

On Aug 10, the party announced the remaining 26 members of the Central Working Committee, the highest executive forum that includes a 15-member policymaking Presidium and 32 secretaries, within 18 days of its dissolving the old one. Many frontline leaders were axed from the committee altogether and Hasina said on July 31 they were dropped in line with the views of the councillors. "It was made for the sake of the party," she said, a day after the AL sprang surprises when it announced the full-fledged committee.

Behemoths Amu, Razzak, Tofail, Suranjit and Jalil were reduced to mere advisers apparently for pursuing 'reforms' to curb Hasina's power. Sahara Khatun, Abdul Latif Siddique, Raziuddin Ahmed Razu, Satish Chandra Roy, Obaidul Qader and Yousuf Mohammad Humayun were included in the new-look presidium. Amu and Tofail had been the key players in the party since the period of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Hasina had made Jalil, currently a parliament member who heads the parliamentary standing committee on commerce ministry, commerce minister on the technocrat quota during the 1996-2001 term. Jalil, who had been general secretary since its 19th council on Dec 26, 2002, resigned the position on July 21.

Amu was a former food minister in the previous AL government and is now an MP. Razzak, who was elected general secretary in the 15th council of the party in Feb 1981 and held the post until 1983, served as water resources minister in the previous Hasina cabinet. Currently he heads the standing committee on the same ministry. Tofail, former industries minister, was also excluded from the presidium. He is also a member of the parliament and chief of the parliamentary watchdog on industry ministry. Suranjit Sengupta, who grew in stature since joining the party in the 1990s, was the prime minister's advisor on parliamentary affairs from 1996-2001. He currently heads the standing committee on law, justice and parliamentary affairs ministry.

Hasina in a recent interview with the Voice of America in the US said, "I have not left anyone, put them into the standing committees, which will ensure accountability of the government." Former organising secretaries Saber Hossain Chowdhury, Mahmudur Rahman Manna, Abdul Mannan and Sultan Mohammed Monsur Ahmed, former joint secretary Mukul Bose, executive member Abu Sayeed and AKM Jahangir were also left out. None of the seven organising secretaries made the cut when the partial committee was declared on July 30, but Abdur Rahman, Akhteruzzaman and Bir Bahadur were later included.