The ruling Awami League on Tuesday removed Abdul Jalil, who recently created controversy by making statements on the party and the 2008 general elections, from the post of chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on the commerce ministry.

Jalil, a member on the party’s advisory council and lawmaker for the Naogaon 5 constituency, was replaced with ruling party lawmaker Lutful Hai, the lawmaker for the Brahmanbaria 3 constituency. Jalil’s removal form the parliamentary standing committee coincided with his arrival in Dhaka from London on Tuesday. He was accommodated in the parliament’s petition committee as a member. The house approved reconstitution of two other parliamentary committees as the chief whip, Abdus Shahid, placed the reconstitution proposal at the directive of the leader of the house, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Jalil, a former general secretary of the Awami League, during his stay in London said the party had came to power through a negotiation with the immediate-past military-controlled government that ruled the country for about two years. He also said he did mistakes by not going against the party chief, Hasina, when she returned home in 2007. Jail’s statement angered the party rank and file at home and abroad. He was reportedly assaulted by Juba League, the youth front of the party, in London, immediately after his statements were aired on a private television channel in London. He later felt sorry and took back his statements.

The Awami League central working committee on October 3 termed Jalil ‘insane’ and did not take any action against him, according to the party’s general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam. As he had been kept off the programmes of the party’s general secretary since the time he came back home after being treated in a Singapore hospital on August 31, 2008, Jalil resigned from the party post on July 21, 2009, only two days before the party’s triennial council session. He was arrested by the then military-controlled government on May 28, 2007 and was paroled for medical treatment as his health condition deteriorated in jail. But during his detention, a statement was issued through his family where he pledged he would quit politics once he would be freed. The Awami League made him one of the members on the party’s advisory council which has apparently angered him.

The members on the reconstituted standing committee on the commerce ministry are the commerce minister, Faruk Khan, Nurul Islam BSC, Tipu Munshi, M Abdul Latif, Afil Uddin, Joynal Abdin, Abul Kashem, Romana Mahmud and Tahura Ali. The house also reconstituted the standing committee on the finance ministry with AHM Mustafa Kamal as its chairman. The members are the finance minister, AMA Muhith, MK Anwar, Ali Ashraf, AKM Maidul Islam, Matiur Rahman, Tajul Islam, Golam Dastogir Gazi, MA Mannan and Fariah Rahman. The petition committee headed by the parliament speaker, Abdul Hamid, was also reconstituted. The members are Mujibul Haq, Abdul Jalil, ABM Ruhul Amin Hawlader, Aman Ullah, Mozammel Hossain, Kamal Ahmed Majumder, Habibur Rahman Mollah, Shahiduzzaman Sarker and Nazrul Islam Manju.

-New Age

Abdul Jalil axed from JS body

Daily Star: Former general secretary of the ruling Awami League (AL) Abdul Jalil was dropped from the post of chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on commerce ministry yesterday. On a proposal from Chief Whip Abdus Shahid, parliament appointed another party lawmaker, Lutful Hye, replacing Jalil. Shahid placed the proposal on behalf of Leader of the House Sheikh Hasina. Jalil was however made a member of the House petition committee headed by Speaker Abdul Hamid.

The veteran AL leader annoyed the party high command by making derogatory statements about the party and ninth parliamentary election. The party's landslide victory in the election came through an 'understanding', he said in an interview with London-based Bangla TV recently. AL President Sheikh Hasinsa said on Saturday action would be taken against jalil in due time. Jalil, who resigned as general secretary prior to July 24 national council of the party, might be removed also from its advisory council, party insiders said yesterday.

Meanwhile, Jalil received kudos from opposition BNP for his remarks. He however said in London later that he still suffers from trauma due to torture by the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) personnel while in detention during the caretaker government's tenure. And he blamed this state of mind for the remarks he made in the interview with Bangla TV. The AL Central Working Committee (ALCWC) on Saturday blasted Jalil for his remarks but it did not decide to take action against him. "Organisational actions cannot be taken against a mentally imbalanced person,” AL General Secretary and LGRD Minister Syed Ashraful Islam told journalists after a meeting of the highest decision making body of the party.

Jalil removed as chief of JS body

The Indepedent: Awami League's Abdul Jalil, who came under fire for his controversial comment about his party's win in the December 29 polls, has been ousted from the chair of the parliamentary standing committee on the commerce ministry. Jalil, a former commerce minister and erstwhile Awami League general secretary, is reduced to a member of a parliamentary body, the petition committee headed by speaker Abdul Hamid.

Chief whip Abdus Shahid proposed the restructure of the standing committee on commerce on Tuesday, which and the House passed by voice vote. Awami League MP Lutful Hye has replaced Jalil as the chairman of the commerce committee. Jalil, who was branded by many Awami League leaders as "mentally unwell" for his recent "ranting", is now on his way to Bangladesh from London, where he alleged in media interviews that the Awami League won the ninth parliamentary elections with the backing of the military-installed caretaker government. He also told media in London that he should have challenged Sheikh Hasina to keep his party post as general secretary after his return from treatment in Singapore.

Jalil returns, quietly

bdnews: Awami League's Abdul Jalil, who has come under fire for his recent controversial comment about his own party's win in the Dec 29 polls, returned home from London Tuesday to find he had been ousted from the chair of the parliamentary standing committee on commerce.

The former Awami League general secretary, shunning the media on his return, landed at Zia International Airport at 9pm, an airport official told bdnews24.com. Along with family members, Jalil went directly to his Gulshan home. Just hours before, in parliament, chief whip Abdus Shahid had proposed restructuring of the standing committee on commerce, which the House passed by voice vote. Awami League MP Lutful Hye replaced Jalil as the chairman.

Jalil, a former commerce minister, was reduced to being a member of a different parliamentary body—the Petition Committee headed by speaker Abdul Hamid. The veteran AL leader, replaced as general secretary earlier this year and already sidelined within the party for previous public outbursts, became embroiled in controversy again after going to London last month for medical treatment. His comments, made to media while there, created a political storm back home.

One of the allegations that he voiced in London was that the Awami League won the ninth parliamentary elections with the backing of the military-installed caretaker government. Awami League general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam in a reaction called him 'mentally unbalanced'. Others dismissed his comments as 'rantings', while the opposition BNP had a field day with the allegation that echoed their own previously stated stance.

Jalil also told media in London that he should have challenged Sheikh Hasina to keep his party post as general secretary after his return from treatment in Singapore earlier this year. He went to Singapore last year after falling seriously ill during his detention by the caretaker government. He has alleged that he was tortured at the time. Since then, he has made various criticisms of his party and party chief Hasina, alongside allegations against the past caretaker government, culminating in the most recent of his controversial comments.

Jalil later apologised, from London, for the allegation against his party saying such a comment came from his grievance against intelligence agency DGFI that tortured him during his period of incarceration. He also claimed his comments were 'misinterpreted'. The Awami League's central committee discussed Jalil's statement on Oct 3, but took no action against him.

Restructured committees

Three parliamentary committees were restructured on Tuesday. Among them were the Petition Committee, whose other members are: Mujibul Haq, Ruhul Amin Hawlader, M Amanullah, Mozammel Hossain, Kamal Ahmed Majumder, Shahiduzzaman Sarker, Habibur Rahman Mollah and Nazrul Rahman Manju. The other members of the newly structured commerce committee are: the commerce minister (ex-officio), Nurul Islam, Tipu Munshi, Abdul Latif, Sheikh Afil Uddin, Jainal Abedin, Abul Khashem, Rumana Mahmud and Tohura Ali.

The House also restructured the parliamentary standing committee on finance, keeping the present chief A H M Mustafa Kamal as its chairman. The other members of the committee are: the finance minister (ex officio), M K Anwar, Ali Ashraf, A K M Mayeedul Islam, Matiur Rahman, Tajul Islam, Golam Dastagir Gazi, M A Mannan and Begum Farida Rahman.