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Let him decide

AL-govt policymakers on Suranjit's fate

Hasan Jahid Tusher
The railwaygate scandal has left Awami League between a rock and a hard place.
If Suranjit Sengupta, who took over as the rail
minister in December last year, is fired, the opposition will use it as a proof of ruling party's corruption. If not, the government's public image will be shattered.
Therefore, many top AL leaders believe the solution must come from Suranjit himself. He has to decide whether to resign or keep trying to prove innocence.
The boss of three-month-old ministry hogged the headlines following the detention of his assistant personal secretary and two top railway officials with Tk 70 lakh Monday night on way to his residence. Talking to The Daily Star, a number of policymakers in Hasina administration reiterated that the incident has embarrassed not just Suranjit but also the government and the party.
Some of them note if the government goes for action against Suranjit, known as a reformist and an outspoken leader, different quarters may interpret that he has been punished for his roles during the tenure of military-backed caretaker regime.
Suranjit had placed some reform proposals saying none should be at the helm of the party for more than two consecutive terms, apparently pointing to Sheikh Hasina. The result was his removal from the AL central committee in 2009 and a long wait to become a minister.
Risk is also there in not taking any action. The policymakers say if the government tries to save him, there will be sharp reactions from the public, critics and the opposition. It will be best to leave it to Suranjit, a seventimelawmaker.
"If he comes clean, he will stay. If not, he must quit, but this is up to him,” a senior minister told The Daily Star, referring to Suranjit's Thursday statement that he would resign if his involve-mentintheincidentis proved.
The Daily Star talked to some other ministers and party leaders in the last two days. But none preferred to say anything on record about the scandal because of its sensitivity.
“The government won't take such a huge risk to save him ahead of the Dhaka city corporations elections,” a senior minister said.
Meanwhile, the railway minister did not talk to any of the senior ministers about the issue. Rather, some of his cabinet colleagues phoned him to know firsthand information about the incident. He did not receive the calls, according to the sources.
Party insiders said upon arrival from Turkey today, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina would talk about the matter with her close aides in the party and government.
Ministers and party leaders think a veteran leader like Suranjit must come clean otherwise it would be a huge blow to the government, the party and careers of other seniorleaders.
It all began on Monday around 11:30pm when the driver of Suranjit's Assistant Personal Secretary Omar Faruq Talukder pulled over to the Border Guard Bangladesh headquarters in the capital and shouted out that there was bribe money stashed in the microbus.
Faruq, Railway General Manager (East) Yusuf Ali Mridha and Dhaka Divisional Commandant Enamul Huq were in the vehicle. According to Enamul, they were heading to the Jigatola residence of SuranjitSengupta.