Disgruntled Awami League leaders criticise 2 ministers, a state minister

Several central leaders of the ruling Awami League have accused two ministers, holding important portfolios, and a state minister of negligence towards the party and the people. The ministers and state minister are from Barisal, Mymensingh and Sylhet divisions, sources present at the secretary-level meeting on Thursday said. In the discussion on the party's organisational divisions, Awami League Organising Secretary (Barisal division) AFM Bahauddin Nasim accused an influential minister of not working for the party. He said the minister in question, who is also a labour union leader does whatever he wants, a source said. Nasim said the minister's activities were not benefitting the party. He accused the minister of harassing the party's district unit activists. Nasim claimed the minister could not tolerate him either. “He does not like the fact that I am a central leader. Please remove me from my party post if this situation continues,” the source quoted Nasim as saying. Awami League's labour affairs Secretary Habibur Rahman Siraj also brought allegations against the same minister. According to him, the minister had put the government in tight spots before. “The minister does whatever he wishes in labour organisations. He has formed a separate organisation but does not attend Sramik League programmes,” Siraj was quoted as saying by another source. In the meeting chaired by party's General Secretary Obaidul Quader, Organising Secretary (Mymensingh division) Misbah Uddin Siraj brought allegations against another senior minister. Siraj claimed the minister did not work for the party in his area and that the party's activists cannot get near him. “The minister is campaigning for a candidate with Jamaat-BNP ties for the upcoming city corporation election,” Siraj alleged, according to the source.This story was first published on Bangla Tribune