Shawdesh DesK:

A final decision over the leadership of Bangladesh Chhatra League, student wing of the ruling Awami League, might come today from a meeting of the AL central executive committee scheduled for this evening with AL president and prime minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

AL general secretary Obaidul Quader asked all the members of the central executive committee, the highest decision-making forum of the party, to join the meeting at 7:00pm at the prime minister’s official residence Ganabhaban.

Several members of the committee told New Age that they thought that the decision over the top leadership of Chhatra League would be taken —either the incumbent committee would be dissolved or acting president and secretary would be selected to replace BCL president Rezwanul Haque Chowdhury and its secretary Golam Rabbani.

Golam Rabbani, however, told New Age that he hoped that the prime minister would forgive them as they wanted a second chance to prove themselves.

He said that they were the victims of conspiracy by a vested quarter and those involved exaggerated different issues to make them look controversial.

He said that he wrote a letter to the prime minister and sought forgaveness for all the ‘little mistakes’ the made and for the ‘unexpected behaviour’ with Jahangirnagar university vice chancellor Farzana Islam.

He said that the incumbent BCL leadership faced highest non-cooperation, besides various obstacles, from the recent past BCL committee.

He said that the immediate past committee of Saifur Rahman Sohag (president) and Zakir Hussain (general secretary) even took away the computer, printer and photocopy machine from the BCL central office.

Earlier on September 11, BCL president and general secretary faced restrictions on entry to Ganabhaban.

The decision came days after the prime minister and president of the ruling Awami League, Sheikh Hasina, at a joint meeting of the party’s parliamentary board and local government elections nomination board on September 7, gave opinion in favour of dissolving the central committee of the party’s associate student organisation, Bangladesh Chhatra League, as she was annoyed at the committee’s activities, said AL leaders.

According to the AL leaders, the concerned authority at Ganabhaban on Wednesday morning was instructed not to allow the BCL top office bearers without prior permission.

Earlier, BCL president and its secretary enjoyed easy access to Ganabhaban — they did not need prior clearance, they said.

After Saturday’s meeting, on condition of anonymity, three AL joint general secretaries told New Age that at one stage of the meeting the PM was particularly critical of the BCL committee. She said that the committee failed to perform its responsibilities in a proper way, they added.

Additionally, AL advisory council member Tofail Ahmed, education minister Dipu Moni and home minister Asaduzzaman Khan had said that they witnessed that the BCL leaders did not conform to party discipline, they said.

They testified that the PM lambasted the leadership for failing to complete the council sessions of different universities, colleges and district units of the student body.

They said that the leadership had also been accused of failing to control the unrest following the announcement of the organisation’s full committee in May.

There were also allegations that some married students and activists as well as supporters of the Chhatra Dal and Chhatra Shibir had made their way into the committee by managing its key leaders, they noted.

They disclosed that Rezwanul and Rabbani were waiting at the Ganabhaban to meet the PM after the meeting. But when the meeting ended AL central leaders advised them to go back.

Later, AL general secretary Obaidul Qauder asked the two BCL leaders to leave the Ganabhaban and they did, said AL leaders.

Earlier in July 2018, Hasina selected BCL’s new central leadership for two years.

The announcement of the new BCL executive committee came nearly two months after its national council session was held in May.

Day after the meeting at Ganabhaban, at a press conference at secretariat, Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, told reporters at his office that no decision was taken yet on dissolving the BCL central committee.

He, however, said that there were some strong reactions expressed regarding the BCL central committee the day before during a meeting of the senior party members.

‘As the party general secretary it would not be proper for me to comment on this matter until the process of implementation begins,’ Quader replied to a question.