Wrongdoers in AL to face the music

The Gono Bhaban yesterday denied The Daily Star reporter access to cover the Awami League's joint meeting without giving any reason. The Daily Star, however, carries the report based on information obtained from secondary sources.

Awami League President Sheikh Hasina has warned party leaders that the party will not protect them if they indulge in controversial and unlawful activities.
She said the Awami League would go tough on party men who create problems, sources said.
The AL chief came up with her admonition at a joint meeting of the Awami League Central Working Committee, AL advisory council, and Awami League Parliamentary Party, which she chaired at Gono Bhaban last night.
Her warning comes at a time when infighting in the party has taken a turn for worse. Several lawmakers have been accused of fanning and taking sides in the feuds in several Awami League units and its associate bodies.
She asked the lawmakers not to create their own groups within the party's units but stay in touch with the grassroots and resolve all conflicts through dialogue to make the Awami League stronger.
Hasina asked the lawmakers to visit their constituencies frequently and monitor development activities. She asked them to be prepared for any anti-government agitation the BNP-Jamaat coalition might launch in future, sources said.
Hasina directed her colleagues to be alert about the kind of people they were letting into the party.
Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry President Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed, who is on the AL advisory council, urged Hasina to ensure political stability for investment.
He also briefed the meeting on the PM's recent visit to Japan.
Sources at the meeting said Kamal Ahmed Majumder, MP from Dhaka-15, demanded the formation of a committee for Dhaka City unit AL immediately. The last council of Dhaka City AL was held on December 27, 2012.
HASINA'S SPEECH
Hasina yesterday said if former president Ziaur Rahman had not died, he would have been an accused in the Bangabandhu murder case.
"Killer Mostaque murdered Bangabandhu and after Bangabandhu's assassination, he made Ziaur Rahman the army chief and that means Ziaur Rahman was linked to the conspiracy of the Bangabandhu killing," she said.
Hasina further said Ziaur Rahman was relieved due to his death. "If he were still alive, he would have been implicated in the murder case."
At the meeting she asked party lawmakers to highlight her government's achievements before the media since the media was not taking note of the achievements. "… Our media has no time and mindset to disseminate news of development activities as it is habituated to criticism," sources quoted her as saying.
She said, "If nobody talks about our development activities, then we ourselves should highlight them."
Hinting at Dr Kamal Hossain's mentioning before the High Court on May 29 that declaring 153 people elected unopposed in the January 5 election was alarming, the PM, without taking his name, said, "This person was with our party and elected MP unopposed in 1970 and 1973 from the seats vacated by Bangabandhu.
"Now this person is raising his voice against unopposed MPs and advocating against their election," she added.