AL lawmakers wary of crises

Senior Awami League leaders, who were left out of the party's central committee, yesterday urged Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to speed up efforts to resolve power, water and gas crises and other priority issues.
They also advised Hasina, also the AL president, to pay more attention to maintaining law and order.
The suggestions came after a meeting of the AL parliamentary board that primarily picked two candidates -- Maj (retd) Jashim Uddin and Nurunnabi Chowdhury -- for April 29 by-polls in Bhola-3 constituency.
AL leaders Amir Hossain Amu, Tofail Ahmed, Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, Kazi Zafarullah, Obaidul Quader, Syed Ashraful Islam and premier's adviser Dr Alauddin Ahmed were present at the meeting.
Abdur Razzak and Suranjit Sengupta could not attend the meeting. Razzak is now out of the country while Suranjit is ill.
They recommended a measure to save power from different sources to ease the ongoing crisis.
The shutdown of fertiliser factories for at least 15 days to save electricity is one option, as the government would not be able to generate more power so soon, they said.
The AL leaders backed their suggestion, saying the government has an adequate stock of fertiliser.
The premier is expected to direct the related ministry to issue a notice on the matter in a couple of days.
"We requested the premier to take immediate steps to ease the sufferings of the people who voted us to power," said a senior party leader wishing anonymity.
"The leader [Sheikh Hasina] said she is aware of the sufferings of people especially in the city due to power, water and gas crises. She is concerned," the AL leader said.
The prime minister may decide to engage army personnel to help ease the water crisis in the capital, a source said.
The party president asked them to help resolve the crises.
Hasina and other party leaders expressed frustration over the pro-AL panel's setback in the polls to the Supreme Court Bar Association and Dhaka University Syndicate. They blamed the lacklustre performance on lack of coordination.
On awarding nomination, AL deputy office secretary Mrinal Kanti Das said the nomination for the by-polls would be finalised after scrutiny.