AL clamps down on 'errant' leaders

With the national polls over three months away, the ruling Awami League has launched a drive against its “errant” leaders to resolve intra-party disputes mainly over party nominations.

The AL has already sought explanation from four district level leaders and served show cause notices on 10 others, including an organising secretary, for breaching party discipline, said party insiders.

Intra-party conflicts over nominations have become a major concern for the AL high-ups, with a group of leaders in some parliamentary constituencies declaring the local MPs “persona non grata”.

In the last two weeks, three AL lawmakers have been declared persona non grata in Barguna, Dinajpur and Rajshahi.

Speaking at a press conference in the capital yesterday, some leaders of Barisal AL and its associate bodies brought allegations against Barisal-4 MP Pankaj Debnath, also the general secretary of Awami Swechhasebak League.

Among the allegations include not maintaining contact with party grassroots. The leaders requested party high-ups not to nominate him for the next parliamentary polls.

To resolve such disputes, the AL Central Working Committee, highest decision-making body of the party, at a meeting on Thursday, decided to take action against the errant leaders.

According to sources, the party has sent a notice to Organising Secretary Mejbah Uddin Siraj to show cause why he worked against party mayor candidate Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran in the recent Sylhet City Corporation elections.

He was also asked to inform the party high ups about the reasons for Kamran's failure in the polls.

Sylhet city AL General Secretary Asad Uddin Ahmad and Organising Secretary Shafiul Alam Nadel were also served with show cause notices for not working for the party candidate.

A letter was sent to Kamran, also the president of Sylhet city AL, yesterday asking him to explain within 15 working days why he failed to uphold discipline in the party.

Kamran lost the elections to BNP's Ariful Haque Chowdhury.

The ruling party also sent show-cause notices to Birganj upazila AL President Zakaria Zaka and Dinajpur district AL Law Affairs Secretary Hamidul Islam over declaring Dinajpur-1 lawmaker Monoranjan Sheel Gopal persona non grata in his constituency.

In another letter sent to Gopal, the AL asked the MP to explain why his fellow party men took position against him.

Asaduzzaman Asad, general secretary of Rajshahi district AL, and Organising Secretary Ahsanul Haque Masud have also been served with show-cause notices for attempting to create an “unstable situation” in Rajshahi-5 constituency.

Local lawmaker Kazi Abdul Wadud Dara has been asked to write to the party high commend about the overall situation of his constituency.

Besides, Barguna district AL General Secretary Jahangir Kabir, Organising Secretary Golam Sarwar Tipu and Jila Parishad Chairman Delwar Hossain were served with show-cause notices for taking position against AL MP Dhirendra Debnath Shambhu (Barguna-1).

The lawmaker was asked to explain why such a situation was created in his constituency.