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AL General Secretary post

Top contenders jostle for Hasina's blessings

By Nurul Kabir
With the date of the Awami League * biennial council sea ston approaching, party lead ers aspiring for the post of General Secretary are getting busier in trying to gel the blessings of AL chief Sheikh Hasina on the one hand and earning support of the district level leaders on the other, sources say
The AL's fifth 'biennial council session after the country's Independence in 1971 Is scheduled to be held on June
1 and 2 thl* year Ihe fourth one was held In 1987 Iasi
According to party Insiders, the party's present Joint Secretary Amir Hossain Amu. Organising Secretary Tofael Ahmed MP. Abdur Razzak MP, a former secretary of the AL who quit the party to form Baksal In 1983 and rejoined the party last- year and the Agriculture Secretary of the party Matla Chowdhury MP are the active contenders for the post of General Secretary of the party Besides them the present General Secretary Sajeda Chowdhury MP and the Chief Whip of the Opposition 1n Parliament Mohammad Nasim MP are also reportedly aspiring for the post
According to sources close to the AL high command. Nasim is too young to be the General Secretary of the Al. while Sajeda would be retained In the post only In case the council session of the party faces major technical dlfllcul ties In selecting a new General Secretary for the party from the first four aspirants
'Of the first four. Amir Hossain Amu. Abdur Razzak and Malia Chowdhury enjoy the confidence of the party chief said a source close to Sheikh Hasina adding Tofael Ahmed was too vocal to be the Secretary of a party like the AL where the highest authority Is virtually vested tn Ils top boss
In support of hls view the source requesting anonymity said, You see. there is no tn dividual tn the party to contest Sheikh Hasina for the presl dency of the AL
Most of the young AL MPs liowevcr want Tofael Ahmed to be the party secretary, the source added
Sources close to Tofael Ahmed said that he may sur render his candidacy tn favour of Abdur Razzak tf he sees hls own chances to be bleak
There Is however a consll tutional complicacy 1n Abdur Razzak s becoming the sec re tary of the party
The AL constitution does not allow anybody to be the of ' flee bearer of the party unless he or she has served the party as a worker for at least two years
Abdur Razzak Is yet to fulfil ’ this requirement since he re-j joined the party August 14 last year
The supporters of Razzak however believe that with the blessings of Sheikh Hasina in-
tact and with the earning of support of a few more district level leaders, the constltu tional complicacy In Razzak's becoming party secretary could be easily overcome
According to them, as Razzak was originally an AL leader, what the council session needs is a new interpretation of the concerned clause of the party constitution. If necessary the party constltu tion cguld be amended before the subject committee goes to select the new party leaders they add
Amir Hossain Amu on the other hand In addition to enjoying Sheikh Hasina s blessings also has the support of ■ significant number of the leaders of the district units of the party all over the country
Disliked by a large number of the party workers. Amir Hossain Amu who failed to get elected In the last parliamentary polls had extensively trav riled across the country to win the support of the district level leader, while Tofael and Razzak had to remain busy In bl- monthly sessions of I*arliament. a mid ranking AL leader remarked
A party source close to the high command, requesting anonymity, said "the AL high command i possible apprehen sion of a major dissatisfaction among a significant number of party worker, with Amu lx-coming the second man of the party can only .lop him from being the General Secretory of the Al-
in such a case. Matia Chowdhury, who is now very close to the AL chief Hasina. has a fare chance to get the post a. a compromise candl date, sources say
Matia. in that case, how ever, would be facing strong opposition from the aging leaders of the party, the sources further say
The party insiders however, believe that tf the party chief decides on Matia to be the Secretary of the AL. the lead ers opposing her would have virtually nothing to do against the decision.
However, one of these top contenders would eventually occupy the prestigious post of the General Secretary of Awami League. ,