9 ministers dropped from AL committee

Nine ministers have been dropped from the central working committee of the ruling Awami League as it continues efforts to separate itself from the government.

Yesterday, AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader announced the names of the leaders who were elected to the party’s highest decision-making body.

Seven posts on the 81-member committee still remain vacant. They are an organising secretary, religious affairs secretary, industries and commerce secretary, treasurer and three executive members.

On December 21, the second day of AL’s 21st triannual council, the party elected 42 office-bearers of the central working committee.

At the council, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was re-elected as the party president for the ninth consecutive time. Besides, Quader was elected general secretary for a second straight term. The two were elected unopposed.

After holding a meeting with AL chief Hasina, Quader yesterday announced the names of the new leaders at a press conference at the party president’s Dhanmondi office in the capital.

MINISTERS LEFT OUT

Seven ministers of the Hasina-led 47-member cabinet have been dropped from the central executive committee. They are Housing and Public Works Minister SM Rezaul Karim, former legal affairs secretary of AL; Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi, former finance secretary; State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, Deputy Minister for Water Resources AKM Enamul Haque Shamim and Deputy Minister for Education Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury -- former organising secretaries; State Minister for Religious Affairs Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah, former religious affairs secretary; and State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Fazilatun Nessa Indira, former women affairs secretary.

Besides, Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun and State Minister for Labour and Employment Begum Monnujan Sufian, both executive members of the previous AL central working committee (ALCWC), were also left out of the new committee.

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Quader, Agriculture Minister Abdur Razzaque, Education Minister Dipu Moni and Information Minister Hasan Mahmud were elected to the new AL central committee during the party council.

Apart from the ministers, Rajshahi city Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton and the Gazipur Zilla Parishad chairman, both members of the previous ALCWC, were not included in the new committee.

Speaking to The Daily Star on condition of anonymity, a central AL leader yesterday said party high-ups had long been hoping to separate the organisation from the government to make the party stronger.

“Some efforts have already been made in this regard. Further actions would be visible as the cabinet is likely to be reshuffled in the first week of next month,” he said.

Among the leaders declared elected yesterday, 13 secured posts in the party’s highest decision-making committee for the first time.

They are Shafiul Alam Chowdhury from Sylhet (organising secretary), reserved seat MP Waseqa Ayesha Khan (finance secretary), Saem Khan (deputy office secretary); and Mostofa Jalal Mohiuddin, AKM Jahangir, Akter Jahan, Dr Musfique, Hosney Ara Lutfa Dalia, Safura Khatun, Sanjida Khanam, Anisur Rahman, Shahabuddin Farazi and Gloria Jharna Sarkar (members).

Afzal Hossain, information and research secretary of the immediate past ALCWC, was promoted to organising secretary while Habibur Rahman Siraj and Aminul Islam Amin were retained in their posts of labour and manpower affairs secretary and deputy publicity affairs secretary for a second straight term.