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Jalil resigns

The out-of-favour AL general secretary says he had no alternative

SHAKHAWAT LITON and HASAN JAHID TUSHER
Just three days ahead of ruling Awami League's national council, its General Secretary Abul Jalil resigned yesterday alleging that he was not being allowed to function as the party's general secretary.
"I am resigning today from the post of general secretary of Bangladesh Awami League, “ Jalil announced in a very brief press statement in his Gulshan residence adding, "1 don't have any alternative.”
Since November 2008. Joint General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam, who is also the AL spokesman, has been practically carrying out the duties of the general secretary, although Jalil was the elected general secretary of the party.
Party insiders said AL chief Sheikh Hasina became annoyed with Jalil following some comments he had made at the time of his detention during the military- backed caretaker government s regime, and even after his release from jail.
While in detention. Jalil once said Sheikh Hasina runs the party in an ’autocratic manner’, although after his release he recanted the statement. saying he had been forced to make the comment.
Later Jalil, also chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on commerce ministry, in and outside the parliament strongly criticised some ministers labelling them as ’paid agents of DGH' He also criticised the practise of allowing advisers to the prime minister to be present in cabinet meetings.
His remarks also annoyed some senior leaders of the party, according to the insiders.
As he has not been even involved in the preparation for the long due national council of the party scheduled for July 24. Jalil recently sent a mes-. sage to AL President Sheikh * Hasina, seeking her permission to get involved. He became very frustrated after the AL chief did not even respond to his message, party leaders close to Jalil said.
"1 hoped that I would finally be engaged in the process of holding the council of Bangladesh Awami League. But when I have noticed that I am being deprived of the scope. I have no other way, but to step down from the post," Jalil said yesterday.
His resignation, before AL’s national council to ratify provisional changes ■ in the party constitution to meet the legal requirements for the party's registration with the Election Commission, brought to the surface pent-up resentments and frustrations among party leaders.
Contacted by The Daily Star yesterday many AL leaders expressed their grievances against the ongoing development in the party, centring Jalil. But none of them wanted to be quoted as they said Jalil’s resignation sent a wrong signal to party leaders and workers, and to the people of the country.
"The undemocratic treatment of Abdul Jalil is very unfortunate. He has been forced to resign after much humiliation. It will remain as a bad instance in the country's political history. I am very hurt.” a senior AL leader told The Daily Star.
Resignation of Jalil, and also of Tanjim Ahmad Sohel Taj. who was the state minister for home affairs, will have a long-term impact on the party and the government, he said adding that the party chief could have prevented such incidents if she wanted to.
A number of party leaders echoed the view, but said Jalil should not have resigned at this moment. They said Jalil was very trustworthy and loyal to the party chief, and he was also not a so called reformist
Talking to The Daily Star, AL’s First Joint General Secretary ObaidulQuadersaid Jalil could have waited one more day and speak, if he had anything to say, at the AL central working committee meetingscheduled for today.
Jalil s fall from grace started back in September 2008. soon afte. he had returned from Singapore following a sixmonth medical treatment there.
On September 10,2008 Jalil announced that he would be back in politics as AL’s general secretary after the High Court had granted him a 40-day interim bail.
Syed Ashraful Islam had been acting as the party's general secretary since Jalil's internment by an army-led joint force on May 28,2007.
The same day, the then acting AL president Zillur Rahman also at first welcomed Jalil's announcement.
But then Hasina called Zillur that night from the US, where she was also under medical treatment back then, and wanted to know on what grounds Jalil took back the charge.
The following day Syed Ashraful Islam was reinstated as the acting general secretary hours after Jalil returned to his post.
Jalil resisted the move saying. "I am still the general secretary according to the party constitution, and I will continue to work as such. ’
But, Zillur told The Daily Star, "Ashraf is still the acting general secretary of the party, and he will continue to serve for several more days."
Then suddenly on September 13, 2008, Abdul Jalil decided to stay away from politics for 'now' following party President Sheikh Hasina's 'advice due to his ailments'.
"As party President Sheikh Hasina advised me to take rest for a few days, 1 will do so," Jalil told reporters back then.
Zillur then said due to technical reasons’ Jalil could not be reinstated as the general secretary.
On November 8. 2008 a meeting of the AL central working committee, the party’s highest decisionmaking body, reinstated Abdul Jalil as the party's general secretary, but the duties of the post practically continued to be discharged by Syed Ashraful Islam.
Yesterday, accompanied by five AL lawmakers from his home district Naogaon, Jalil read out the brief statement announcing his resignation, and questioning the legitimacy of the AL national council scheduled for July 24, as according to him the party constitution is being violated by not letting him convene the council.
The five lawmakers are Shahiduzzaman Sarkar, Imajuddin Pramanik, Israfil Alam, Sadhan Chandra Majumder, and Shahin Monowara Haq. Other local leaders and supporters also rallied behind Jalil.
"We agree with the speech of our leader," Israfil said immediately after Jalil announced his resignation.
Some other AL lawmakers and leaders were also asked to join Jalil's, news briefing, but they did not show up.
Jalil was elected the AL general secretary without any contest at the party's last council held on December 26, 2002 with the support of over 5.000 councillors of the party from across the country. That council also re-elected Sheikh Hasina as the party chief.
Jalil, who was supposed to continue as the general secretary till the election of his successor through the July 24 council, is the first AL general secretary to resign from the post in the party's 60-year history, and that too when the party is in power.
Earlier, Abdur Razzaq, now a member of the AL presidium, was expelled from the post of the general secretary in 1984, as he had formed a new political party, BAKSAL, without resigning from AL.
Following Jalil's resignation, Obaidul Quader, the first joint general secretary, is supposed to act as the general secretary, according to the party constitution.
But it is not clear if Quader is assigned as the acting general secretary as Second Joint General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam is still coordinating the preparations for the upcoming national council, although the party constitution does not allow him to do so.
Ashraful, also the LGRD minister, is sending invitation letters in his name to councillors. party leaders, and other guests, although the party constitution empowers the general secretary to convene the party council and send invitations.
Ruling AL's seeming indifference to its own constitution runs counter to its electoral pledge that it would take appropriate measures to change the country's political culture.
"Steps appropriate to the time will be taken to establish democratic principles in political parties, transparency of political funding, civility, and tolerance," said the ruling ALelectoral manifesto tided 'A Charter for Change' announced before the last parliamentary election that brought the party to power through a landslide victory.
Jalil in his statement yesterday also said according to the party constitution the general secretary convenes the council, and it is warranted that the invitations go out in his or her name. The general secretary also places a report to the council.
But I don’t have that opportunity," Jalil, who was elected a lawmaker through the last parliamentary election, said.
Before reading out his written statement, Jalil, also former commerce minister of the previous AL government led by Hasina, requested reporters not to ask any question since he would not reply.
He however said despite his resignation from the post of general secretary, he will try to work for strength and progress of the party till death under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina, and as a follower of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
After the news briefing Jalil had informal conversations with reporters for a few moments when he said he was deprived of an honourable exit. "I rose from the grass roots level, and now 1 am returning to my origin." he added.