Awami league President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has instructed the party’s central leaders to prepare a fresh list of those who are backing the rebel candidates in local government elections in order to take organizational action against them.
The Awami League chief also expressed concern over electoral violence in the recent second phase of the Union Parishad polls countrywide. She instructed party leaders to expel the rebel candidates, as well as to ensure a violence-free third phase of the polls on November 26.
The ruling party has also expelled Gazipur city unit general secretary and Mayor of Gazipur City Corporation Jagangir Alam for disobeying party principles.
Earlier, the party issued a show-cause notice seeking his explanation on the remarks on October 3, a day after the matter was widely discussed at the party’s Dhanmondi office.
The decisions were taken at a meeting of the Awami League Central Working Committee that began at Ganabhaban at 4:10pm yesterday. Sheikh Hasina presided over the almost six-hour-long meeting.
When contacted, two joint general secretaries told Dhaka Tribune that action would gradually be taken against all leaders who went against the decisions of the party.
Many local members of parliament may lose their party tickets in the next general election if they support rebel candidates, they added.
On condition of anonymity, a leader who attended the meeting told this newspaper: “At the Union Parishad polls, it was proven that we (Awami League) are our own enemies. Candidates with party tickets faced off against rebels while the real enemy, BNP, refused to participate.”
Infighting between followers of Awami League-nominated and rebel candidates led to several bloody clashes across the country during the second phase of the Union Parishad polls on November 11.
The ruling party top brass was displeased and deeply concerned by the large number of rebel candidates in the polls despite instructions from the party leadership not to go against the nominated candidates.
Ruling party leaders have been trying to discourage rebel candidates with organisational punishments such as expulsion from party bodies or disallowing them from party nominations, but the number of rebels is still on the rise.
In the second phase of Union Parishad polls, Awami League-nominated chairman candidates won 468 seats, while independent candidates won 330 seats. Most of the independent candidates were Awami League rebels. In the second phase, there were 698 rebel candidates in 835 unions.
The upcoming third phase of Union Parishad polls will be held in 1,004 unions on November 26. A total 1,069 leaders or workers at different levels of Awami League are set to go against the party decision by contesting the polls as rebel candidates.
New presidium members
According to Bangla Tribune, Sheikh Haisna also inducted Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, Kamrul Islam, and Khairzzaman Liton into the party’s presidium.
The posts had been vacant after the deaths of former health minister Mohammad Nasim, former home minister Sahara Khatun, and former law minister Abdul Matin Khasru.
When contacted, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader told reporters that he was not aware of the decision. "They will get the party's official letter," he added.