Amu-led leaders face party workers' wrath

Awami League (AL) activists attack reformist AL Organising Secretary Abdul Mannan as he comes out of a meeting of the party's central working committee at the Dhanmondi party office yesterday.Photo: STAR

Shouting no reforms would be implemented in the Awami League (AL) without the release of detained party President Sheikh Hasina, a number of agitated AL workers yesterday abused four senior party leaders including the acting general secretary at the party's Dhanmondi office.
The leaders faced abuses and one of them was assaulted while going to attend the AL Central Working Committee (ALCWC) meeting and also when returning.
Chanting anti-reform slogans, they also kicked cars of two of the leaders and went rough against two others known to be loyal to senior presidium member of the party Amir Hossain Amu.
AL workers believe that Amu has taken a firm stand against Hasina. And this has created resentment among the party workers about Amu and those loyal to him.
The four are AL acting General Secretary Mukul Bose, Organising Secretary Abdul Mannan, Prof Abu Sayeed and AKM Jahangir Hossain.
The ALCWC meeting demanded "unconditional" release of the party chief and expressed firm determination to continue legal battle to free her. Hasina is detained since July 16 on extortion charges.
Party workers grew agitated as Jahangir arrived at the party office at about 3:50pm. Chanting slogans demanding immediate release of Hasina, some of them hurled rough language about reformist leaders and warned them of dire consequences.
As Mukul and Sayeed came out of the office after the meeting, about 100 agitated workers, mostly former leaders of Bangladesh Chhatra League, Jubo League and Sweschchasebak League, started kicking their car and hurled abuses. Party leader Latif Siddiqui clamed down the agitated workers.
Later, Mannan came out of the office and faced the same situation. Hurling abuse language, some of the workers also assaulted him.
Maj Gen (retd) Shubid Ali Bhuiyan tried to calm down the activists but failed. Mannan was then taken back into the party office.
Talking to The Daily Star, Mannan alleged that there was a conspiracy behind the incident. He suspected that the BNP, some leaders of his party or some agencies might have hatched the conspiracy to divide the AL in a planned way. "As the Awami League remains united, the incident is intended to destroy its unity," he said.
As the agitated workers stayed on the road in front of the AL office, the four leaders spent about an hour inside the office before police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.
The ALCWC meeting, chaired by acting party President Zillur Rahman, also demanded release of the party general secretary and other detained leaders and workers. The ALCWC earlier met on March 4 before the present caretaker government banned indoor politics.
In a resolution, the meeting praised the interim government for withdrawing the ban on indoor politics. The meeting, held for the first time without the party president and general secretary and attended by 39 leaders, also demanded lifting of all other conditions imposed on indoor politics.
Of the 73 ALCWC members, 12 including the party president, general secretary and three presidium members have been detained, four died and others are either absconding or staying abroad.
Briefing newsmen later, Zillur Rahman also demanded an end to restrictions on political activities at all level across the country. The people are in a suffocating situation as they cannot express their opinion.
The meeting urged the government to bring down prices of essentials to a reasonable level during Ramadan. It also expressed grave concern over the fresh spell of devastating floods and urged party workers to stand by the affected people with whatever they have.
The meeting decided that the party would call its working committee meeting to decide about dialogue with the Election Commission, when invited.
Meanwhile, leaflets were distributed among the AL workers in front of the party office in the name of an oraganisation -- Sheikh Hasina Mukti Parishad. Jubo League and Swechchasebak League pasted stickers and posters on walls demanding Hasina's release.
The meeting was attended by AL presidium members Johra Tajuddin, Sajeda Chowdhury, Tofail Ahmed, Motia Chowdhury, Ataur Rahman Khan Kaiser, Acting General Secretary Mukul Bose and organising secretaries Saber Hossain Chowdhury, Abdul Mannan, Akhtaruzzaman, Mahmudur Rahman Manna, Abdur Rahman and Bir Bahadur.
Party central leaders who attended the meeting included Asaduzzaman Noor, Abdul Mannan Khan, Dr Abdur Razzak, Habibur Rahman Siraj, Prof Ali Ashraf, Nurul Islam Nahid, Col (retd) Faruk Khan, Nuh-ul-Alam Lenin, Dewan Shafiul Arefin Tutul, Nazma Rahman, Shahara Khatun, Dr Mostafa Jalal Mohiuddin, Yafes Osman, Dr Dipu Moni, Alamgir Kumkum, Capt (retd) ABM Tazul Islam, Maj Gen (retd) Shubid Ali Bhuiyan, ABM Mozammel Haque, Prof Abu Sayeed, Abdul Latif Siddiqui, Prof Mohammad Hanif, Raziuddin Ahmed Raju, AKM Jahangir Hossain, Mirza Sultan Raza, Fazle Rabbi and Bipul Ghosh.