AL allies feeling unimportant

The Awami League sits with its allies in 14-party grand alliance tomorrow for the first time since the alliance assumed power early January lest year.
Sources said the AL had no meetings with its allies in between and this has allowed rifts to appear among the alliance partners.
The AL will also hold its Central Working Committee meeting today to discuss the latest socio-political situation in the country. Both the meetings will be held at the prime minister's official residence Jamuna with her in the chair.
The state of the government, its performance and the role of the alliance partners in the government would be discussed at the 14-party alliance meeting. The meeting is going to be held a day before the government completes one year in office, said AL Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif.
Frustration and resentment developed within the 14-party allies as the AL had not convened a single meeting before to fix strategies on how to work as one political force and implement their common electoral pledges.
Senior leaders of all allies, except Gono Forum President Kamal Hossain, have already been invited to attend the meeting. Sources said the AL and the Gono Forum chief are not on good terms.
Each party has been asked to join the meeting with no more than three leaders.
Alliance leaders observed that both the meetings are very important as the government will complete its one year on January 6 and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will visit India next week to sign crucial treaties.
Talking to The Daily Star, AL Presidium Member Obaidul Quader said the prime minister would give necessary directives to the party's rank and file at the Central Working Committee for implementing the party's electoral pledges quickly.
He said the issue of dealing with the opposition would also be discussed at the meeting and how the party could handle the climate change consequences.
Meanwhile, Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad yesterday said the position of his party is now weak in the grand alliance. He, however, claimed that there is no rift within the alliance.
"We want to stay in a strong position within the ruling Awami League-led grand alliance, not in a weak position," he said while exchanging views with journalists at a city hotel.
The party would hold a rally at the city's Paltan Maidan January 6 marking Jatiya Party's 24th founding anniversary and a year of grand alliance government.