Ministers in AL Committee: Presidium asks Hasina to decide
The newly-constituted Awami League presidium, the highest policy-making body of the party, yesterday left it to AL President Sheikh Hasina to decide whether seven ministers would be included in the 81-member central executive committee.
The seven, among the 12 ministers who were in the previous committee, do not feature in the partially-formed Awami League Central Working Committee, which was announced during the AL’s triannual council held between December 20-21.
Party insiders, at the time, said they viewed the move as an effort to separate the party from the government, although four ministers were selected in the central committee.
Presidium members yesterday discussed the issue of the seven minister’s at their first meeting held at the Gono Bhaban in the capital yesterday night with Hasina in the chair, said sources.
The members gave Hasina the responsibility to take the decision in this regard.
The seven ministers of the Hasina-led 47-member cabinet, who were not named in the committee yet, are Housing and Public Works Minister SM Rezaul Karim, its former legal affairs secretary; Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi, former finance secretary of the party; three former organising secretaries in the previous committee: State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, Deputy Minister for Water Resources AKM Enamul Haque Shamim and Deputy Minister for Education Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury; State Minister for Religious Affairs Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah, former religious affair secretary; and State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Fazilatun Nessa Indira, former women affairs secretary.
Four ministers -- Obaidul Quader, road transport and bridges minister; Adbur Razzaque, agriculture minister, Dipu Moni, education minister; and Hasan Mahmud, information minister -- were elected in the central executive committee.
Hasina was elected AL president for the ninth consecutive time, while Quader was elected her deputy for his second term.
After the meeting, Quader told reporters at Gono Bhaban gate that the full committee would be announced on Thursday.
Following the council, AL elected 42 office bearers in the 81-member central working committee, while names of the other 11 office bearers and 28 members are yet to announced.