The high command of the ruling party has echoed several times that strict action would be taken against rebel candidates as well as those who provided shelter to them, but failed to take any step to keep organizational activities ongoing.
Awami League has identified over 200 leaders including lawmakers who worked against the party's nominated candidates in the recently held upazila elections, according to party insiders.
Besides, the party also identified several leaders from its affiliated organizations who also worked against party nominated candidates.
Awami League president and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has asked for show cause notices to be issued to the listed accused, sources at the party office said.
On July 19, Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader announced that his party will issue show cause notices to the accused with a three-week provision for the reply.
However, talking to Dhaka Tribune, several senior leaders of the party said although show cause notices will be issued to the accused, it will be very hard to take strict action like suspension from the party.
A presidium member of Awami League told Dhaka Tribune that party cannot suspend more than 200 leaders at a time so that it will certainly create a vacuum in the party leadership at the grassroots level.
He said: “If we suspend all of them at a time, party activities may be stopped as well as the party’s organizational strength will be reduced.”
The leader, however, hinted that the party may give the accused leaders final warnings.
When contacted, three of the party advisers on condition of anonymity told Dhaka Tribune that several leaders were given the charge to investigate the allegations, but most of them had worked from the backend in nominating weak and unpopular candidates, that forced the rebels to go against the party decision.
These leaders also encouraged several rebels to stand against party candidates, they added.
A huge number of rebel candidates won the upazila election race, they said.
They also warned if the high command suspends them, the party strength and organizational activities will definitely be hampered.
“If the party suspends elected upazila chairmen, lawmakers and ministers then who will do politics for the Awami League in grassroots level,” a member of the advisory board raised the question while taking to this correspondent.
'Issuing show cause notices, warnings will be enough'
He also said issuing show cause notices and giving warnings will be enough, but the decision to suspend them would not be a wise idea and he hoped that the party will not do so.
When contacted, Awami League presidium member Pijush Kanti Bhattacharjee said the decision will be taken after getting the answers of the show cause notices.
He said: “Assigned leaders will investigate the allegations and recommend the high command about possible punishment.”
The joint general secretaries and organizing secretaries of the party are working with the allegations raised against over 200 party leaders and will submit a report in this regard by July 28.
The allegations were raised against top leaders at the upazila level as some of them directly participated in the election against party nominated candidates, while some others worked for rebel candidates.
An accused leader from Natore, who participated in the election as rebel candidate, wishing unnamed, told Dhaka Tribune, that he participated in the election as the high command nominated a controversial and hybrid person who is not familiar with the Awami League politics.
He participated in the election to save the party from intruders, he said alleging that a section of Awami League’s influential leaders had nominated several non-political and controversial persons after taking huge donation from them.
Vice-president of Gobindaganj upazila unit Awami League Ferdous Alam Razu, who participated in the election as rebel candidate and later withdrew his candidature, saying that Awami League nominated a controversial person who had a link with the anti-liberation war forces.
He said: "The party nominated candidate was warned once he criticized the war crime trial and took his stance for the war criminals."