Hasina banks on the same troops

Sheikh Hasina, who has been leading the grand old Awami League for 42 years now, will be at the party helm for the next three years as she was reelected the president for the 10th consecutive time.

Besides, Obaidul Quader scored a hat-trick with his reelection as the general secretary, the second highest position in the AL hierarchy.

They were elected at the 73-year-old party's 22nd triennial council held at the auditorium of Institution of Engineers in the capital yesterday.

Before her reelection, Hasina once again stressed the need for new leadership.

"The old ones should move over, making way for the new leaders. I am handing over the responsibilities to you. New leadership is required," Hasina told nearly 7,000 councillors present at the closed-door session.

Councillors are entrusted with the task of electing the new leadership, according to the AL charter.

"I will be with you no matter where I am. New ones arrive and the old ones depart. This is universal," said the 75-year-old leader.

At 5:00pm, Hasina announced the dissolution of the AL central committee and said an election would be held to elect the new AL office bearers. She handed over this responsibility to the three-member Election Commission to conduct the polls.

At that, the auditorium brimming with AL leaders burst into a "no".

Hasina  watched the crowd for a few moments, flashed a smile and said, "It can't go on like this … There must be an election, we all have to practise democracy.

"Today, we bid you farewell. I want new leadership."

After that, Yusuf Hossain Humayun, chief of the election commission, took the microphone and asked the crowd to suggest names for the post of AL president. And thousands of leaders chanted "Sheikh Hasina".

Veteran leader Amir Hossain Amu then took the floor, saying there was no alternative to Hasina for the post. "We all want her for the post as long as she lives."

Dinajpur AL President Mostafizur Rahman Fizar endorsed Amu's proposal, and then the election commission announced Hasina as new AL president.

"I can't find words to express my gratitude. I accept your decision with my head bowed," Hasina said as her voice cracked with emotion.

"I have grown old. You elected me as the party president in 1981 in my absence. But I think a new leadership should come up."

Then came the post of general secretary. All eyes have been on the post for the last week and speculations were rife. Hasina's reelection was certain, but there were discussions everywhere about who would be the number two.

The AL election commission invited proposals for the general secretary.

Naogaon AL President Sadhan Chandra Majumder proposed Quader's name for the post, and Dhaka district AL General Secretary Paniruzzaman Tarun seconded it.

The EC then announced Quader as the general secretary as there was no other candidate. Quader was first elected general secretary in 2016 and reelected in 2019.

After the election, councillors vested in Hasina the power to elect the other office-bearers.

She then started announcing the names of the office-bearers.

No new faces are in the committee; there was only a light reshuffle.

Nurul Islam Nahid, Ramesh Chandra Sen and Abdul Mannan Khan were stripped of their presidium membership. The presidium is the highest policy-making body of the party.

The three leaders are now members of the advisory council.

AL central committee member Mostofa Jalal Mohiuddin was promoted to the party presidium.

Hasina didn't bring any changes in the four joint general secretary posts. She, however, brought changes in the order of the names on the list.

Hasan Mahmud, who was the third on the list of joint general secretaries, is now at the top replacing Mahabubul Alam Hanif, who is now second.

According to the AL charter, if the general secretary is "absent for work", his responsibilities shall be vested in the joint general secretary by the order of the names on the list.

Sakhawat Hossain, who was the organising secretary, was dropped from the new committee. Sujit Roy Nandi, who was the relief and social welfare secretary, has been promoted as organising secretary.

The new relief and social welfare secretary is Aminul Islam who was the deputy publicity and publication secretary.

Harunur Rashid and Habibur Rahman Siraj are in the advisory council. They were the youth and labour secretaries of the past committee.

So, three posts -- deputy publicity and publication secretary, youth and sports secretary and labour and manpower secretary -- fell vacant, and Hasina announced those will be filled later.

The AL chief also didn't announce the name of members of Awami League Central Working Committee (ALCWC), the highest-decision making body, and said the presidium will meet to elect the central committee members.

Sources said several new faces, mostly former student leaders and immediate-past leaders of AL's front organisations, might be inducted as AL's apex body members.

Hasina also reconstituted Awami League's Parliamentary Board and the Local Government Representative Nomination Board. She also announced 44 members of AL advisory council, the thinktank of the party.

After announcing the names, she sought approval from the councillors, and they endorsed it loudly.

The council session also adopted some amendments to the party's charter and declaration.

At the beginning of the second session, AL chief gave scope to eight grassroots leaders from eight divisions to talk about the organisation.

Jamalpur district AL President Baki Billah demanded Hasina's image on the bank notes. Hasina then turned down his proposal saying, "Only the picture of the Father of the Nation will be on the bank notes."

In a lighter vein, she said, "I will beat you up, go away from here."

Faridpur district AL President Shamim Haque alleged that conspiracies are afoot against the government at home and abroad and demanded strengthening AL's publicity cell to counter the propaganda against the government.

Bogura district AL President Mojibar Rahman alleged that some leaders  are still dedicated to the party, while some are out to put up the party for sale.

He urged the high command to pick the party's tested leaders for the next national election.

Patuakhali district AL President Kazi Alamgir demanded party nominations for the grassroots leaders whose dedications for the party is beyond doubt.

Wrapping up the session, Hasina recited a line from Jibanananda Das: "Shall resurrect and return again", and left the venue.