Seven central leaders of opposition Awami League might be stripped of their party positions at the AL Central Working Committee (ALCWC) meeting scheduled for June 10.

AL President Sheikh Hasina will chair the meeting of the 67-member ALCWC which is also likely to take actions against another over 500 party men for antiparty activities in the last parliamentary election, party sources said.

The actions will include expulsion, suspension from party positions and warning, a member of AL Presidium told this correspondent seeking anonymity.

The seven leaders are AL Joint Secretary Mozaffar Hossain Paltu, Science and Technology Secretary

Monaem Sarkar, Assistant Office Secretary Siddiqur Rouf Khan, Assistant Publicity Secretary Nurul Fazal Bulbul and executive committee members Prof Fazlul Haq, Phulu Sarkar and Nurul Majid Humaiyun. Some of them may lose primary membership of the party, the sources said.

The actions will be taken as per recommendations of AL General Secretary Zillur Rahman, made in his report submitted to the party chief on May 28.

A total of 540 party men including the seven were issued show-cause notices after the election.

The June 10 meeting is also expected to review of national budget for fiscal 2002-2003 to be placed in the Jatiya Sangsad today, the sources said.

AL expelled 24 party leaders including Presidium

member Dr Mohammad Selim for contesting the last elections defying party decisions.

Selim and his supporters have meanwhile formed a new party named Bangladesher Awami League. This could not make any impact on the mainstream AL, the sources said.

It is not clear whether the party leadership will fill the posts falling vacant after the actions or will wait till the next party council, the sources said.

Two posts of the party Presidium are now vacant following the death of Pulin Dey and expulsion Dr Md Selim.