Jalil may quit AL post today

Being frustrated over the party high command "not letting him do his duties", Awami League General Secretary Abdul Jalil is likely to resign from his party post today, two days before AL national council.
Sources said the veteran AL leader might come up with his decision at a press conference at his Gulshan home today at 11:00am. Jalil was elected the AL general secretary at the party's last council on December 26, 2002.
Jalil sent a message to AL President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina seeking permission to get involved in the preparations for the national council, sources said. He became very frustrated after the AL chief did not respond to his message, they added.
Party insiders said AL Joint General Secretary and LGRD Minister Syed Ashraful Islam is coordinating preparations for the national council although the party constitution does not allow him to do so. As per the party constitution Jalil was supposed to carry out the responsibility.
According to the AL constitution, if the general secretary is absent from work, his/her functions and responsibilities shall be vested in the joint general secretaries on orderly basis. In this case, AL's first Joint General Secretary Obaidul Quader was supposed to coordinate the council as acting general secretary. However, he has been made convenor of the council management sub-committee.
After his release from jail before the ninth parliamentary elections, Jalil was assigned to the post of general secretary but was not allowed to function. Annoyed by the situation, Jalil criticised the party leadership in several occasions saying that the party constitution was being violated.
"I think something serious has happened between the party chief and Jalil rather than his letter and criticism as there is no problem with four other senior leaders Amu, Razzak, Tofail and Suranjit," said an AL leader seeking anonymity. The situation could have been handled in a different manner, he added.