AL seeks ways to keep party men in check

Ruling Awami League is likely to prepare plan of actions today to rein in the ongoing extortion and tender manipulations by its party men across the country and to ensure proper coordination in the activities of both the party and government.
Sources said the party will give organisational responsibilities to some of its central leaders to oversee the malpractices as many believe that those unlawful activities have tainted the image of the nine-month old government.
“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is very much sincere to stop extortion and tender manipulation. Such untoward incidents will be tackled politically by distributing organisational responsibilities among the party senior leaders,” AL Presidium Member Kazi Zafarullah told The Daily Star yesterday.
As the AL Central Working Committee (ALCWC) sits today for the first time after its formation in last July, AL President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to give necessary guidelines to the leaders to these ends.
The ALCWC meeting will be held at AL president's political office in Dhanmondi at 10:00am with her in the chair.
Hasina, during meetings with the party leaders on different occasions, earlier asked them to go tough on the unlawful activities but the party leaders apparently did not do so, sources said.
“Plan of actions will be prepared at the meeting and disciplinary actions will be taken against party men, if they are found involved in any malpractice,” another Presidium Member Obaidul Quader told The Daily Star.
The ALCWC is also scheduled to discuss country's latest socio-political situation and the party's organisational activities, among others. It is also likely to discuss the issue of AL Advisory Council Member Abdul Jalil, who made 'derogatory' statements about the party and the election.
Interestingly, the ALCWC sits today without party's stalwarts Amir Hossain Amu, Abdur Razzaq, Tofail Ahmed, Abdul Jalil, and Suranjit Sengupta who were dropped from the central committee that saw a number of new faces in July.
The bigwigs were then made members of AL advisory council, which has apparently no role in party's policy and organisational matters.
Some of the party leaders said both the party and government have been witnessing a lack of coordination in implementing the party's election pledges.
Party insiders said a few leaders might draw attention of the ALCWC about the lack of coordination between the government and the party and seek solution to this end.
Stating that there is 'less' lack of coordination, Quader said everything would be all right after the meeting.
Sources said the party high command is concerned with the activities and statements of some senior party leaders including former general secretary Abdul Jalil who have been excluded from the central committee for alleged anti-party role during the emergency period between 2007 and 2008.
Sources said the party high command might take organisational action against Jalil and warn others to speak in line with the party's viewpoints.
Obaidul Quader said the matter of Jalil would be discussed at today's meeting and he would ask the ALCWC to issue a show cause notice for his (Jalil's) anti-organisational statements.
"None is above the party constitution, so he (Jalil) must explain his position in black and white," said the AL policymaker.
If no organisational action is taken against him, party leaders would continue to speak against the party's standpoint, he added.
Quader observed that Jalil has repeatedly made anti-party statements embarrassing the government and the party. Under no circumstance, he should be spared, Quader added.
Referring to the statements of Jalil, another senior leader said it is not right to place stranger loyalists in the key position of the party.
He said weakness of party politics would increase in future if any 'stranger' is placed in the party's central committee.