AL move to bridge gap between MPs and party activists

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Dhaka

Saturday, 04 September 2010

Author / Source : SHAWKAT ALI KHAN

The ruling Awami League will soon launch a series of programmes to reduce the gap between party activists and lawmakers and also to gear up organisational activities to raise public opinion for the trial of war criminals.
Party insiders said that the Awami League would announce dates for holding the long over due council sessions of wards, upazilas and districts and for holding grand rallies in all divisional headquarters to raise public opinion for holding the trial of  war criminals after Eid-ul-Fitr.

“The gap between grassroots level leaders and lawmakers will be reduced through the council sessions,” AL acting general secretary Mahbub-ul-Alam Hanif told The Independent yesterday.
Asked from where they would start the grand rallies, he said that the party would start the programme from the sacred soil of Sylhet.
“But the date for starting the programme is yet to be fixed,” he said.
Leaders at the grassroots allege that the organisational activities of the party became stagnant after the party assumed power.
Intra-party clashes were on as the central leaders did not monitor the activities of grassroots activists, they said.
In the last Awami League Central Working Committee meeting held in June last,  the heads of 72 organisational districts informed the party president and prime minister Sheikh Hasina about the gap between party activists and lawmakers.
The grassroots leaders at an extended meeting on January 30 also levelled the same kind of allegations and held the lawmakers responsible for widening the gap.
Regarding the involvement of some ministers and lawmakers in corruption, Sheikh Hasina on July 22 issued a strong note of warning saying that those who were engaged in corruption would not get the party ticket for the next general elections.

“I have news regarding corruption…I get pieces of information every week,” Hasina said at a meeting of the AL Parliamentary Party.
“I have been monitoring the performance of every minister and lawmaker every six months,” she said.
“Whatever you are, stern action will be taken if anybody indulges  in corruption,” she added.
AL sources said after ending the rallies in divisions, it would also hold rallies at the district headquarters. Party activities would also be strengthened through the programmes, they said.
Before going for holding the council sessions, the in-charge organising secretaries would also talk to the grassroots leaders at their respective divisional headquarters, they said.
Acknowledging the gap, AL presidium member Obaidul Quader said: “After assuming state power, a slight gap between lawmakers and grassroots leaders might have been created as work of the government gets preference over the organisational activities.”
“It happens because we who are responsible for strengthening party activities are reluctant to do party activities,” he said, adding the same thing happened during the last Awami League regime also.
The party president and prime minister Sheikh Hasina has to take the initiative to strengthen party activities, he said.