Awami League leaders yesterday said removal of Syed Ashraful Islam from the LGRD Ministry was not aimed at punishing him, rather to engage him more in party activities.
They even do not think the party suffered an embarrassment at the decision saying that it was a very simple matter in a democratic government.
At a programme yesterday, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s decision on running the government is always correct and time-befitting.
“Syed Ashraful Islam has performed additional duties when he was a minister as he is the general secretary of the party. The Awami League is a large party and naturally he has to shoulder more responsibility of the party.
“Maybe that is why Ashraful Islam was removed from the ministry,” Obaidul said while addressing reporters at Babubazar in the capital yesterday.
Party’s Advisory Council Member Suranjit Sengupta said the ministry portfolio is not a big responsibility for Syed Ashraf as it is with the party.
“Who to get a portfolio in the cabinet solely depends on the power or jurisdiction of the prime minister. Party President Sheikh Hasina knows the best who is better for the cabinet and the party as well,” Suranjit said at a discussion at the Diploma Engineers Institution yesterday.
Suranjit, who was also removed from the Railways Ministry of the last Awami League government, said there is nothing negative about the removal of Ashraf from the ministry for both the government and the Awami League.
Such things happen frequently in the first-world countries, he noted.
Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbub-ul-Alam Hanif said the premier knows better than anyone what is better for the government.
“The government and party affairs are completely separate matters. The premier may have felt it necessary to relieve Ashraf of the duty in the interest of the party,” Hanif said while exchanging views with the party’s Kushtia district unit in Kushtia yesterday.
On Thursday, Syed Ashraful Islam was relieved of his duty from the LGRD and Cooperatives Ministry, and made a minister without portfolio, after three days of rumours over his position in the council of ministers.
Also general secretary of the ruling Awami League, Ashraf had been serving as the LGRD minister since the party came to power in 2009.
