Many bad elements secure position

A good number of former BCL leaders with alleged criminal records and those who stayed from party politics for a decade or so have been made assistant secretaries in ruling Awami League's central sub-committee.
Announced recently, the 149-member sub-committee has been formed to help central leaders beef up party activities ahead of the next general elections.
One such assistant secretary, Rafiqul Alam Gaffari Russell, former vice-president of pro-AL student body Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), is known in Dhaka University as a tender manipulator.
It has been alleged that he maintains a group of former BCL leaders, who have allegedly been manipulating tenders in different government offices, including the public works department, and food and power offices, since the AL assumed power in 2009.
His close associates said Russell's tender manipulation had begun at Dhaka University. He and his group later moved the business to Biddyut (Power) Bhaban and Khadya (Food) Bhaban.
Evidently, Russell's wrongdoings did not come in the way of his securing a post in the sub-committee.
Like Russell, former BCL leaders Rafiqul Islam Bappi and Saiful Islam allegedly got involved in tender manipulation in BIWTA and Dhaka Zila Parishad, and Shikkha Bhaban and family planning offices respectively.
Contacted, both refuted the allegation.
Bappi said, "We four friends are licensed contractors. We do not do anything wrong. If anyone can prove that my company [Bappi Enterprise] or I have exercised power to obtain a work order, I will quit politics."
Saiful said, "My licence is under the name of MR Builders. So far I have been to Shikkha Bhaban and family planning offices only for a few times. I never used power to obtain any work. Besides, I am no longer in that profession as I am now looking after my brothers' garment business."
Like them, more than a dozen of former BCL leaders, who have been included in the AL central sub-committee, have either been manipulating tenders or carrying out unlawful activities over the last four years.
According to AL insiders, three among the newly appointed assistant secretaries -- a leader of Awami Swechchhasebak League, a former top leader of Dhaka College unit BCL and another former BCL leader -- were charged with murder in their student life.
A BCL central committee member and a thana unit leader, who are known in the party as extortionists, have been given the same post, said the insiders.
Three office staff and two personal assistants of an adviser to the prime minister and AL presidium member, and people with criminal past have been included in the sub-committee.
Besides, there are more than a dozen leaders, who had been absent or inactive in party politics for over a decade, but have been appointed as assistant secretaries. These leaders include Farhad Hossain Sangram, Zakir Hossain Maruf, Anwarul Azim Sadek, Faisal Biplob, Mohammad Alam, Mostafa Zaman Babul and Masum Iqbal.
Moreover, appointment of three staff of the AL president's political office -- Shamim, Masud and Alauddin -- as assistant secretaries surprised many senior AL leaders.
Two senior leaders of the party told The Daily Star that they had not expected appointment of such controversial people.
Contacted, AL Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif denied the allegation of including controversial people in the committee saying that the party high command had selected each assistant secretary after reviewing his or her political background.
He said there would soon be another committee with those who had been left out in the sub-committee.
Surprisingly, the central sub-committee has only one female assistant secretary. In its electoral manifesto, the AL had pledged to keep at least 33 percent positions in the party for females to ensure empowerment of women.
The woman selected is Marufa Akhter Popy, former acting president of BCL.