Some MPs and ministers are going to face punishment who did not stop their children and relatives from participating in the upazila elections despite the party president's strict instructions. Several central leaders of AL have said that a strict decision may be taken in this regard in the meeting of the Awami League's central executive committee on April 30. Political analysts say that the party chain of command of Awami League, which has been in power for four consecutive terms, has been collapsed due to this disobeying of central decision. MPs and ministers and even some central leaders did not obey the instructions of the party chief. It is an anti-organizational activity and goes against disciplinary work.
Disobeying the decision of the party includes expulsion in the constitution. Earlier, some people were expelled for being involved in unconstitutional activities several times, but later they got general amnesty. Party ranks and even nominations have been given to them. That's why many MP-ministers did not take into account the instructions of the party president in this year's upazila elections.
Last Monday was the last day for withdrawal of nomination papers in the first phase of voting. Many relatives of MPs and ministers did not withdraw from the election even on the last day. The leaders of the central Awami League say about these candidates that those who are contesting by disobeying the party instructions are basically not following the party's discipline and disobeying party president Sheikh Hasina's orders. The party must take organizational action against them. A decision will be taken on those who disobeyed the party directives fixed at the Awami League executive meeting at Ganobhaban on April 30 at 7 pm.
In this regard, Awami League presidium member and Rajshahi City Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton told The Bangladesh Pratidin, "Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina gave special instructions to the MPs and ministers to make the upazila elections acceptable and free to all. This pressure is still maintained. In the first phase of voting, some MPs and ministers have followed the instructions of the party president, some did not. Time is not up yet. Hope they keep the word of the party chief. Those who did not keep the word of the party president, a decision will be taken in the meeting of the executive parliament of the party on April 30.”
It is known that the candidates of Awami League are also showing various logics on their behalf for disobeying the central directive. The party's instructions for the first phase of the election came on April 18. And the last day to submit nomination papers for the first phase was April 15. Because of this, the relatives of ministers and MPs have become the only chairman candidates or single candidates of Awami League. There is no rival candidate against them. As local ministers and MPs declared their relatives as candidates, others did not have the courage to run. In the first phase of voting, many MPs and ministers did not listen to the order of party president and some have started lobbying to continue the process in the second phase as well.
Comilla-10 Constituency MP Golam Sarwar, the younger brother of former Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, has been the candidate for Upazila Chairman in Comilla Sadar Constituency in the second phase. AHM Mustafa Kamal recently approached the party's General Secretary, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader so that he call Comilla Sadar Constituency MP AKM Baharuddin Bahar and ask him to ensure the support of party leaders and activists for his brother. At that time, the general secretary of the party directly refused the request. At the same time, he told the former finance minister to obey the instructions of the party president. Sunamganj-4 Constituency MP Mohammad Sadiq's nephew Fazle Rabbi Swaran is also campaigning as a candidate for Sadar Constituency.
(The report was published on print and online versions of The Bangladesh Pratidin on April 24 and rewritten in English by Lutful Hoque Khan)
