Ghulam Azam’s exit from the topmost office of the rightist Jamaat-e-lslami Is forcing the ruling Awaml League to redefine its strategy on the BNP-led opposition alliance, prior to the 2001 general elections.

The AL leadership is now convinced that Azam’s retirement as Jamaat Ameer (party chiefi is part of the 'opposition strategy', and not merely the result of growing dissatisfaction within the party ranks over his fraying 'leadership charisma.'

"Ghulam Azam’s departure would make Jamaat more acceptable within the four-party opposi-

tlon fold. This development would appease politicians having strong pro-liberation sentiments within the BNP." explained a minister and a central AL leader recently.

The Ghulam Azam issue figured prominently at an AL meeting Monday night, with the Prime Minister and AL president Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

Now. AL strongly believes that it may face a 'relatively moderate Jamaat without Ghulam Azam' when the party chooses a new Ameer soon.

One source, however, said that AL was banking on the prospect of Jamaat's second-in-command'

Motiur Rahman Nizami becoming the new chief.

"In that case, we would remind the electorate that Ghulam Azam is not the lone war-criminal within Jamaal. There are many proofs of Nizami’s controversial role in War of Liberation too," he said.

"We should not be complacent about Azams departure, cautioned one minister at a central working committee meeting recently.

At the same meeting. Sheikh Hasina expressed satisfaction at successful holding of a series of' freedom fighters-people rallies' In recent months and wanted more such programmes in future.

One influential AL leader believes that the younger leaders In Jamaat started viewing Azam as a 'liability'. To them, he feels, Azam was a leader who had no charisma whatsoever to draw votes and had only earned had name for the parly.

The number of lawmakers belonging lo Jamaal came down to only three in 1996. from 18 In 1991

Tlie ruling party is also observing carefully tlie developments within the bigger partners of the opposition alliance. It did not attach any importance to a recent report that Khurshid Jahan Haq. MP. would replace her younger sister Khaleda Zia as BNP chairperson for an interim period, due to a prolonged sickness of the former prime minister.

Sources added that AL also hopes that the Jatiya Party faction led by HM Ershad would lose strength once the deposed president goes behind the bar to serve his five-year jail-term after beirg’ convicted In a corruption case.

The other JP frartion, led by Communications Minister Anwar Hossain Manju, would remain lucked with AL till the next parliamentary polls, the ruling party leadership hopes.