BCL ignores PM’s order to fire married leaders from committee

Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) top brass is yet to dismiss leaders who are married from its central executive committee despite a direct order from Prime Minister and Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina to do so. None of the married leaders have resigned from their posts even nearly three months after they were notified, several BCL leaders, requesting anonymity, told the Dhaka Tribune. They said that BCL President Saifur Rahman Sohag and General Secretary SM Jakir Hossain at a meeting on July 11 had told the central committee about the directive from Hasina, who is also an adviser of the ruling party’s student wing. Hasina had also ordered to fire all the married leaders from the committees of all BCL units across the country, said sources who attended that meeting. At the meeting, sources said, Sohag and Jakir had asked all married leaders to step down within 72 hours from their posts in all BCL units and if they do not, they will be fired. However, nearly three months have passed and not a single leader, who is married, resigned from his or her committee post, or got dismissed. Three BCL vice-presidents told the Dhaka Tribune that Sohag and Jakir have set a shameful example for the organisation by ignoring the prime minister’s order. They said the BCL president and the general secretary knew that they would not be able to fire the married leaders. Then why did they tell the committee members about the prime minister’s order? They have defamed the party chief. According to organisation sources, at least 40 members of the central executive committee are married and no one has resigned until now. These leaders include vice-presidents Masuma Akter Poly, Mehedi Hasan, Suprio Kundu Rajesh, Nusrat Jahan Nupur, Shaikh Sahajalal Hossen Sujon, Asaduzzaman Asad, and Golam Rosul Biplob, Joint General Secretaries Nawshed Uddin Sujon, Sheikh Faisal Amin, and Shahidul Islam Shahed, Organising Secretaries Md Shahjalal and Jasim Uddin, Press and Publication Secretary Arifuzzaman Nurnabi and Deputy Cultural Secretary Tapu Rayhan. However, Office Secretary Delowar Hossain Shahajada claimed that 13 central committee leaders who are married and a total of 300 leaders from different units around the country had resigned, but he could not name them or provide any list. He also told this correspondent to contact President Sohag and General Secretary Jakir in this regard. When the Dhaka Tribune contacted him, Sohag blatantly claimed: “There are no married leaders in our central committee.” He further claimed that they had dismissed 10 married leaders following Awami League President Hasina’s directive. But he too could not name any of them. Even though Deputy Cultural Secretary Tapu’s Facebook profile showed that he resigned from his post in April, he told the Dhaka Tribune that he was still in the committee. “Sohag has asked me not to worry about resigning,” he said, when asked about holding his post. A joint general secretary also rejected the BCL president’s claim and told the Dhaka Tribune that none of the married leaders have resigned or got fired. Nawshed Uddin Sujon, however, claimed that he was still holding his joint general secretary post as he was not married. But the Dhaka Tribune has obtained a copy of his marriage registration certificate. BCL Vice-President Shaikh Sahajalal Hossen Sujon, who heads the Khulna city BCL unit, said: “I have spoken with the organisation president and general secretary and convinced them that I will resign after Khulna city unit’s upcoming council.” Meanwhile, no one from the BCL higher-up could say how many members their central committee currently has. Office Secretary Delowar claimed that the number was around 400, but several other leaders claimed it was more than 500.