After maintaining “political work from home” for the last five months due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the ruling Awami League now wants to return to its regular political and party activities with solving various pending issues by September to give the party new vibrancy.
According to sources in the party, Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has already expressed her wish to complete some pending issues such as a cabinet reshuffle, filling vacant party posts with new appointments, and announcing full committees for Jubo League, Swechasebak League, Krishak League, Dhaka City Awami League and some other associate bodies.
Cabinet reshuffle likely this September
After winning three consecutive terms, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina formed the 47-member cabinet on January 6. Of them, 27 were first-time members of the cabinet.
The first change in the cabinet came within four months with the appointment of State Minister for Health Murad Hasan as the State Minister for Information.
Then, on July 12, Imran Ahmed was promoted to the rank of a minister from state minister for Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry, and Fazilatun Nessa Indira was appointed as the State Minister for the Women and Children Affairs Ministry.
Last February, Housing and Public Works Minister S M Rezaul Karim was given charge of the Fisheries and Livestock Ministry, State Minister for Social Welfare Sharif Ahmed was made State Minister for Public Works, and State Minister for Fisheries Ashraf Ali Khan was made State Minister of Social Welfare.
Two top-level sources in the government have hinted to Dhaka Tribune that another small cabinet reshuffle was on the cards.
They said that questions have risen from various quarters regarding the activities of several ministries and departments during the Covid-19 situation. The Ministry of Health was mostly discussed. Apart from this, there are indications of change in some important ministries due to the current global situation. Along with filling the vacancy created with the demise of State Minister for Religious Affairs Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, there may be addition, subtraction or change in one or two other ministries.
ALCWC meeting in September after 5 months
Before the Covid-19 outbreak in Bangladesh, Awami League held its last Central Working Committee meeting on March 9, after that no ALCWC meeting has been held till now.
As per the party’s constitution, ALCWC meetings must take place within every two months, but this time Awami League could not hold the meeting in time due to the pandemic.
Recently, the Awami League president had instructed party top brass to restart party political activities as before, but maintain health protocols as Covid-19 has not yet been eradicated from Bangladesh.
Barrister Biplab Barua, office secretary of Awami League and special aide to the Prime Minister, told Dhaka Tribune on Tuesday afternoon that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina hinted that she wants to attend the ALCWC meeting in September.
“Probably members of ALCWC may attend a meeting from the party central office of Bangabandhu Avenue and President Sheikh Hasina can join us from her official residence Ganabhaban virtually. However, the process of meeting has not been finalized yet,” Biplab Barua said.
He also said that a secretary-level meeting of the party was held on Wednesday in this regard.
Filling vacant party posts with new appointments
Awami League Presidium Members Mohammad Nasim and Sahara Khatun and Executive Member Badruddin Ahmed Kamran have passed away recently.
Besides, the committee formed after the Awami League's national conference of last October already had four vacancies.
Now with the death of three members, a total of seven posts have become vacant in Awami League Central Working Committee (ALCWC).
In addition, many district committees and a few associate organizations have been functioning with committees dependent on their respective presidents and general secretaries, but not full committees.
Party insiders say these vacant posts will get new faces soon.
According to party sources, the two posts in the presidium are more likely to be filled by joint secretaries or the executive members.
Apart from this, the names of one or two members of the cabinet are also being discussed. There are discussions that some members of the family of the four national leaders may be included in ALCWC.
Abdur Rahman, presidium member of Awami League, said the party president will choose the best replacement for the vacant posts in the central committee.
“ALCWC already gave the full rights to Party President Sheikh Hasina to appoint new faces in the vacant posts,” Rahman told the Dhaka Tribune on Tuesday.
Full committees of associate bodies to be announced
The national conventions of the Awami League’s affiliate organizations Krishak League, Sramik League, Swechasebak League, Jubo League, and Matsyajibi League, were held on November 6, 9, 16, 23, and 26 consecutively.
Similarly, the North and South unit councils of the Dhaka City Awami League held a meeting on November 30.
Party sources said, all other units have already submitted their comprehensive lists. The committee lists are under scrutiny now.
Dhaka Tribune spoke to more than five presidents and secretaries of AL affiliated organizations on Tuesday.
Afzalur Rahman Babu, general secretary of Awami Swechasebak League, told Dhaka Tribune: “We are going to announce a full committee by this September. Already, we have discussed the matter with party top brass.”
According to party insiders, the announcement of full committees of these associate bodies were halted due to Covid-19, now all committees will be declared gradually.
As part of a continued cleansing action by the Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the associate bodies have been directed to form full committees with leaders having good reputation.
The country's oldest political party had been struggling with an image crisis ever since allegations of illegal activities, including running underground casinos in the capital, surfaced recently against some of its leaders.
The new set of fresh faces will be introduced as part of a strategy of party high-ups to remove controversial leaders from central units of affiliated bodies.