AL’s number one enemy is infighting

The Awami League has become its worst enemy because of rampant infighting at its grassroots, said leaders of the ruling party yesterday.

Rifts between local leaders and activists are responsible for the party's poor state, they told AL President Sheikh Hasina and requested her to do something to unite the local leaders and thus make the party more organised, insiders said.

Rivalry in the party is the only real cause for worry ahead of the national election, the senior leaders said, adding that as an organisation, the AL was stronger than the BNP.

The senior leaders expressed these views at a meeting of the AL Advisory Council, AL National Executive Committee and AL Central Working Committee, at the Gono Bhaban.

At least 20 members of the advisory council and executive committee addressed the meeting and some of them expressed dismay at the feuding AL leaders.

Hasina then asked her party colleagues to prepare well for the election, slated for January 2024.

She also asked them to visit people at their doors and highlight government achievements and make the masses aware of the "negative politics" of the BNP, said sources.

Hasina asked the leaders to be careful about the BNP's programmes and said the BNP was trying to bring a 1/11-like situation, they added.

Besides, the meeting decided to take a stronger stance to resist the BNP's "sabotage".

Meanwhile, addressing a meeting of the Dhaka city (south and north) AL committees, their associated bodies and pro-AL organisations, General Secretary Obaidul Quader warned the party leaders and pro-AL bodies to be vigilant over the BNP programmes.

The meeting was held mainly to finalise the AL action as the BNP will hold a rally and demonstration tomorrow.

It was decided that the AL will organise programmes and call them "discussions" and "peace rallies" on that day. However, insiders say these programmes will be held to "take control of the streets" and counter the BNP's preannounced rallies and demonstrations across the country.

AL's two Dhaka City units will organise two separate discussions, protesting the "terror and anarchy of the BNP'' at the AL headquarters on Bangabandhu Avenue and at Natunbazar 100 Feet.

Quader is likely to attend these events.

Jubo League's two city units will organise two "peace rallies" at the Central Shaheed Minar and Farmgate while Chhatra League activists will "sit-in" at Shahbagh like they did during the last three BNP events.