BCL central committee: Expanding way beyond rule

The organisational charter clearly states that the central executive committee of Bangladesh Chhatra League can have a maximum of 301 members, but now it has around 700.

Top leaders of BCL, the pro-Awami League student body, are hastily including their favourite ones in the committee to keep them by their side ahead of the next council likely in November, said the organisation insiders.

The incumbent committee will be dissolved by holding the council.

BCL President Al-Nahean Khan Joy and General Secretary Lekhak Bhattacharjee added at least 400 new faces to the committee giving them various posts in over seven days from July 31, Syed Arif Hossain, vice-president of the central committee, told The Daily Star yesterday.

Most of the freshers are leaders and activists of different university and college units of BCL, said the insiders.

This move irked many BCL men, who alleged that the president and the general secretary randomly gave posts to their close ones without following the organisational rules and discipline.

However, the BCL office could not say the exact numbers of the present committee.

BCL sources said the president and the general secretary initially wanted to include 170 freshers in the 301-member committee and sent them letters on July 31. After that, over 200 other activists got letters, they added.

"Is the post in the central committee open for all? Are writing names and designations on the organisational pad enough to become a central committee member?" Syed Arif Hossain, vice-president of the committee, wrote on Facebook at that time.

Meanwhile, BCL suspended four activists, who claimed to have gotten posts in the extended committee, over tampering with official letters.

Despite repeated attempts over the phones, Joy and Lekhak could not be reached for their comments.

Md Saif Babu, senior vice-president of BCL central committee, said, "We tried to reward the activists who did not get posts earlier but have long been serving the organisation."

Asked if it was a violation of the organisation's charter, he declined to comment.

Contacted, BCL Office Secretary Indranil Dev Sharma Rony said, "At least 300 new members have been included in the extended committee. Their list will be published soon."

He, however, evaded a direct answer to a question of whether the move was a violation of their organisation charter.

The number has been increased like in previous committees, said Rony, adding that they did so to "evaluate" those who have been working for the organisation for a long time.

Meanwhile, BCL leaders also announced committees of different units without holding any councils, which is contradictory to the organisation's constitution.

They declared 13 committees of different units which include district, upazila and university from July 6 to July 31.

In the last council, Sheikh Hasina as AL president was vested with the authority to pick the top BCL leadership. She named Rezwanul Haque Chowdhury Shovon and Golam Rabbani as president and general secretary on July 31, 2018.

On September 14, 2019, Joy and Lekhak, who were senior vice-presidents of that committee, were made its acting president and acting general secretary after Shovon and Rabbani were removed from their posts for their controversial activities.

On January 4 next year, Hasina gave the duo the full responsibility of Chhatra League at a programme marking its 72nd founding anniversary.

According to the BCL constitution, the tenure of the central executive committee is two years, meaning the present committee expired on July 30, 2020.

Asked about the next council, AL Presidium Member Abdur Rahman, who is also tasked with monitoring the BCL, said, "The next council will be held as per the directive of Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader."

On May 10, Quader, during a meeting with different AL associate bodies, asked the BCL leadership to hold the council soon, party sources say.