AL rank and file confused who’s top joint GS
Among the ruling Awami League rank and file, confusion reigned about who actually tops the list of joint general secretaries.
It arose after AL President Sheikh Hasina announced the names of the joint general secretaries at Saturday's national council. She said, "Those who were the joint general secretaries will continue to be so… Dr Hasan Mahmud, Mahbubul Alam Hanif, AFM Bahauddin Nasim and Dipu Moni…."
Following the announcement, Hasan Mahmud, who was previously the third on the list of joint general secretaries, climbed to the top, pushing Mahabubul Alam Hanif to the second position.
The official website of AL uploaded the names of leaders of the full-fledged committee around 10:30pm on Saturday, putting Hasan as the number one joint general secretary. However, an hour later, the list was pulled down from the website. Only the names of Sheikh Hasina and Obaidul Quader remained there. This created a confusion among the party rank and file.
Another hour later, the names of the full committee were uploaded again with Hasan's name at the top. But it disappeared again after half an hour.
As of writing the report at 9:30pm, the website mentioned the names of Hasina and Quader only.
These frequent changes on the official AL website only deepened the confusion with many seeking to know who is now the number one joint general secretary.
The matter took on significance because of a provision in the AL charter. The provision says if the general secretary is "absent", the responsibilities shall be vested onto the joint general secretary by the order of the names on the list.
When his attention was drawn to the order of the joint general secretaries, Obaidul Quader yesterday said, "I have talked to honourable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina over the phone. What she had said sets things right. Dr Hasan Mahmud is the number one joint general secretary. And the order for the rest will remain the same."
He was talking to the reporters after paying tributes to the portrait of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on Dhanmondi-32.
This correspondent contacted four leaders of the new AL committee, but none of them agreed to comment.
A joint general secretary, wishing anonymity, said only Sheikh Hasina can clear the confusion. It will be cleared after the presidium meeting, he added.
The AL is holding the first meeting of the newly elected presidium, the highest policy-making body of the party, at the Gono Bhaban today at 7:00pm. The 28 members of the central committee will be elected there.
Sources said several new faces, mostly former student leaders and immediate-past leaders of the AL's associated organisations, would be inducted in the AL's apex body members.