‘We’re with AL’

Amidst a boycott by six dissident central leaders and two politburo members at the party’s 10th congress, Workers Party of Bangladesh President Rashed Khan Menon yesterday affirmed that his party will continue its alliance with the ruling Awami League.

“Maintaining an alliance with Awami League is still needed to establish a Bangladesh in line with the spirit of Liberation War,” he said.

Menon was speaking at the inauguration ceremony of his party’s 10th congress held “with a vow to continue its fight against corruption, inequality and sectarianism” at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh auditorium in the capital.

The party president, who has been facing a chorus of criticism on ideological grounds from some central leaders, said his party had formed its alliance with the pro-Liberation War forces to fight against militancy, fundamentalism and communalism that increased during the BNP-Jamaat period.

Citing existing disparity among people, Menon said there have been many development activities in the country. “But not all have a fair share in that development. Rather, a handful of people made a lot of money and they are smuggling it abroad,” he alleged.

He also hailed the government’s ongoing anti-corruption drives.

Meanwhile in a press release issued yesterday, Iqbal Kabir Jahid, one of the dissident leaders, said they will hold a two-day rally in Jashore on November 29-30 to declare their next course of action.

“Due to ideological disagreement, a large number of representatives did not participate in the 10th congress in Dhaka like us, so we will hold a separate rally to give them a proper guideline,” Jahid, coordinator of the coordination committee to protect party ideals, told The Daily Star.

On October 30, the party suspended six of its central committee leaders who had sought to refrain from joining the congress. The six leaders alleged that the party has deviated from its communist ideals by forming alliance with AL.

On October 26, party politburo member and former general secretary Bimal Biswas was also expelled on charge of indulging in anti-party activities.

Bimal himself withdrew his primary membership of the party on October 22, issuing a letter to the central committee. He said the party had deviated from its ideals of Marxism and Leninism.

Another politburo member Manoj Saha also expressed solidarity with the dissident leaders, according to the press release issued by Jahid.

However, pointing at the dissident leaders, party General Secretary Fazle Hossain Badsha while speaking at yesterday’s congress said extreme leftist revolutionary ideology cannot be a good thing. He hoped that their party would move forward, gaining affection and support of people.

Among others, Minister Counselor at Chinese embassy Yan Hualong, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal President Sharif Nurul Ambia and Bangladesh Adivasi Forum General Secretary Sanjeeb Drong spoke at the inauguration of the four-day congress.