Resolving clashes through councils

With incidents of clashes, shootouts, and murders, the ruling Awami League has been reeling from infighting since January's national polls.

Faced with the consequences of allowing its members to run as independents against party nominees, AL has launched several initiatives to mend divisions and resolve internal feuds.

According to a report by Human Rights Support Society, at least five people were killed, 60 shot, and over 450 injured in infighting between AL leaders and activists in at least 39 districts between January 7 and January 17.

Party President Sheikh Hasina called for unity, urging leaders to immediately convene councils across districts, upazilas, and city units. The party supremo has also instructed to hold councils of its associated bodies whose committees have expired.

She also directed the formation of complete committees in areas where councils were convened but committees were not fully formed.

The aim is to reconstitute the party at the grassroots, ensuring revitalised organisational activities.

Central leaders will travel to troubled districts later this month, tasked with mediating disputes and overseeing the formation of new committees in units where leadership has expired.

During a recent joint meeting at the AL central office on Bangabandhu Avenue, these decisions were communicated to the party's joint general secretaries and organising secretaries who are in charge of eight divisions.

At the meeting, AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader emphasised the need to address party conflicts and conduct overdue councils for various AL units and affiliated bodies.

According to party sources, leaders from units with internal conflicts or expired committees will either be called to Dhaka or visited by central leaders to address the issues.

The central leaders will start touring the infighting-prone districts from the end of this month and complete forming fresh committees in the expired units by next month, the sources added.

Talking to The Daily Star, AL Joint General Secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim said, "The party is being reorganised from the grassroots level. This is an ongoing process. It was postponed due to the national election and now it has been resumed."

The ruling party has 78 organisational districts and 495 upazila units. Over 30 district units have expired committees for not having timely councils, while party conflicts persist in 27 districts and city-level units. In 18 district-level units, despite council meetings, full committees are still pending, informed party insiders.

For instance, the last council to Barishal district unit AL was held in December 2012.

THE STATE OF AL DHAKA UNITS

The organisational status of AL's major units in Dhaka City North and South is chaotic. Despite repeated directives, committees for 50 thana-level units and 140 wards under these city units remain unformed, despite councils being held between June and November 2022.

Besides, the tenure of both the city units themselves ended in November 2022, but there are no signs to hold fresh councils.

The last council of Dhaka city (North and South) AL was held on November 30, 2019.

However, full-fledged committees were announced almost a year later, on November 19, 2020.

As per the party charter, the tenure of such a committee is three years.

"The party is being reorganised from the grassroots level. This is an ongoing process. It was halted due to the national election and now it has been resumed."

— AL Joint General SecretaryAFM Bahauddin Nasim

There are 24 thana and 75 ward units under Dhaka city South unit. Councils to these units were held for the first time in 2022.

However, no committee was announced in any ward or thana unit.

The condition of Dhaka city north unit is no less than that of the south. A total of 64 wards and 26 thana units held their councils in 2022, but no committee has been announced so far.

Contacted, Sheikh Bazlur Rahman, president of Dhaka City North AL said, "We have already submitted the draft committees to the party central and it will be announced after party president approves it."

According to the party charter, there is an obligation to announce a new committee within 45 days of the dissolution of the previous committee.