Ministers, MPs blamed for city polls debacle

Grassroots leaders of the ruling Awami League blamed ministers and treasury bench lawmakers for the debacle in Saturday's elections to four city corporation.

Presidents and secretaries of different wards in Dhaka city also criticised the ministers and MPs for keeping distance with the grassroots level leaders and activists.

During an extended meeting of the Dhaka city unit AL at the party's Bangabandhu Avenue central office in the capital, they accused the senior leaders for not holding council to the AL city unit for years after years.

Dhaka city AL General Secretary Mofazzol Hossain Chowdhury Maya and Joint Secretary General and State Minister for Law Qamrul Islam had to face the blistering attacks by the frustrated leaders when they tried to cool them down.

The ward level leaders pointed out that poor organisational structure of the ruling party is also a vital reason for their failure in the recently held elections to Rajshahi, Khulna, Barisal and Sylhet city corporations..

Speaking at the meeting, the grassroots level leaders said in last four and a half years the ministers and lawmakers did not look after the workers. “Rather, they were busy with themselves.”

The meeting decided to hold a mass procession on June 23 in the capital to observe the 64th founding anniversary of the party.

The rally will start from Suhrawardi Udyan at 3:00pm and end at Russell Square in Dhanmondi after parading through Shahbagh, Elephant Road, Science Laboratory and Kalabagan areas.

A flower wreath will be placed at the portrait of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in the morning on the day.