AL plans reshuffle at grassroots

Ruling Awami League, in the face of severe internal feud, stalemate over party activities and lack of coordination between the rank-and-file members, has planned to bring major changes to its grassroots level leadership after the Ramadan.
The changes will be made aiming to bridge the gap between the grassroots and the party lawmakers, and give dynamism to the party activities, the party insiders said.
To bring about the change, AL will count on youths and females to hold the leadership at the grassroots level as per the directives of Prime Minister and party Chief Sheikh Hasina.
The party will also give preference to those who are relatively educated, qualified, dedicated and committed to the party and its top leadership for top positions in grassroots committees, AL Organising Secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim told The Daily Star.
The process of holding council at the grassroots level will start from ward units immediately after Eid-ul-Fitr, said AL leaders.
According to the party leaders, almost all the 73 organisational district units are facing severe internal conflict for many years.
But no initiative has been taken to resolve the issue in the last one and a half years, causing the party to be in a mess, party sources said.
AL Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif said, "We will hold the councils of the grassroots units after the Ramadan. I think the government and party activities will become more effective with the changes in the grassroots leadership."
Nasim said female workers would be considered for leadership at the grassroots level since the party wants to recruit 33 percent women in all tiers of the party.
However, he said the prime target would be to establish coordination between the rank-and-file members and remove internal feuds.