Shawdesh Desk:

The ruling Awami League is busy making hectic efforts to complete the council sessions of its grass roots units across the country, targeting the next national elections.

Insiders said Awami League wants to strengthen its grass roots units by mitigating all sorts of internal conflicts through the council sessions ahead of the next parliamentary elections.

Organisational work to hold the council sessions and form unit committees has speeded up after Awami League President Sheikh Hasina directed the party leaders concerned to complete it before the party’s national council.

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader at a recent programme said that the 22nd triennial national council of their party is likely to be held in December this year.

He also hinted that the next parliamentary elections will be held in the end of 2023 or early 2024. “So, the party will have to be reorganised ahead of the next election,” Quader added.

The party leaders concerned have been given necessary directives to end all sorts of internal conflicts in the organisational units across the country, the AL spokesperson said.

Following the AL chief’s directive, the party has started holding council sessions of its upazila, pourasava and district units and forming full-fledged committees through extended and representatives’ meetings.

As per the decision of the ALCWC meeting, council session in some districts, many upazilas, pourasavas and unions are being held. Date has been fixed for holding some district councils in Ramadan.

Awami League deputy office secretary Sayem Khan told the Daily Sun that council sessions of party’s some district units have already been completed after the fresh move.

“Council sessions in some 32 districts have been completed in between 2019 and 2021. Council in some other districts, including Natore, Rajbari, Pabna and Sirajganj, have also been completed in 2022 while dates have been fixed for some other districts,” he said.

Party insiders said Awami League has speeded up work to hold the council sessions of its grass units as the national election is approaching and activities over the polls will begin after completion of reorganising the party grass roots.

There are some 78 organising districts in the country while four joint general secretaries and eight organising secretaries have been appointed to look after the party activities in eight divisions, party sources said.

Besides, tenure of most of the unit committees in some 650 units (upazila, thanas and Ppourasavas) has expired. Even, council sessions of many units have not been held for long time.

Organising secretary of Sylhet division unit of the Awami League Ahmed Hossain told the Daily Sun that all the unit councils here have been completed except in Sunamganj district.

“Full-fledged committees of four out of five units in Sylhet division have already been announced,” he said.

Party’s upazila councils in Sunamganj are going on, he said adding that they have been drumming up public support for Awami League and party’s ‘Boat’ symbol through various activities during council session.

Talking about the party’s council sessions in Barisal division, Afzal Husain said council sessions in four out of six districts are yet to be held.

“We are working relentlessly to complete all the councils before the national elections,” he said.

Rajshahi divisional organising secretary SM Kamal Hossain said he has successfully completed all the unit councils in the division.

“Full-fledged committees will be announced before our triennial national council to be held in December,” he added.