'PM annoyed over needless remarks'

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has expressed annoyance over some of her party and cabinet colleagues making “unnecessary” statements, which, she said, created an unwarranted situation for the government.

When some leaders of the ruling Awami League met her at the Gono Bhaban on Wednesday, she said the party leaders and the ministers must refrain from making controversial remarks, sources said.  

AL leaders Mahabubul Alam Hanif, Abdur Razzaque, Faruk Khan and Saber Hossain Chowdhury were among those present at the unofficial meeting.

Hasina, also AL president, gave the instructions at a time when a few party leaders became vocal over incidents of “crossfire”, recent price hikes of gas and power, the US refusal to give Bangladesh the generalised system of preferences in its market, and the misdeeds by leaders and activists of pro-AL bodies such as Chhatra League and Jubo League.

Besides, controversial statements have recently been made over sensitive issues like the role of the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, an ally of the AL-led 14-party combined, in the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. 

Wishing anonymity, a leader who was present at the meeting told The Daily Star that the prime minister was annoyed with some party leaders for criticising many government decisions and making unnecessary remarks on sensitive issues.

Echoing the PM's view, AL Presidium Member Obaidul Quader yesterday urged his party and cabinet colleagues to make uniform statements on a given issue.

"Different remarks by some of us on the same issue are creating problems.  It is like political suicide that makes us weak and others may take advantage of this,” said Quader, also road transport and bridges minister, at a discussion.

Recently, AL leaders Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Mahabubul Alam Hanif, Captain (retd) AB Tajul Islam, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and AFM Bahauddin Nasim accused the JSD of preparing the ground for the assassination of Bangabandhu in 1975.

The alliance partners were angered by the accusation.

Some AL leaders and activists observed that such remarks would crack the unity of the 14-party.

AL lawmaker Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, also nephew of Sheikh Hasina, has repeatedly come down heavily on the Rab after the recent killing of several ruling party leaders and activists in “gunfights".

Party lawmaker Suranjit Sengupta on Friday criticised the recent decision to increase gas and power prices, terming the government's decision unacceptable.

He urged the government to reconsider the decision.

At her meeting with party leaders, Hasina also discussed the formation of Dhaka city AL committee and asked the leaders to announce the committee as soon as possible.

The AL is going to announce the committee by September, sources said, adding that the committee would be split into two.

The last council of Dhaka city AL was held in 2012, but no new committee has yet been formed. The city unit is being run by the committee elected in the 2003 council.