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Too embarrassing for AL grassroots

Partha Pratim Bhattacharjee
Many grassroots leaders of the ruling Awami League are embarrassed and shocked at the sharp rise in the wealth of some party lawmakers and former ministers over the last five years.
They said the alleged corruption by a section of AL leaders had tainted the party's image, and organisational action should be taken against those who had amassed wealth by illegal means.
The Daily Star yesterday talked to more than two dozen grassroots leaders, mostly presidents and general secretaries of AL district and upazila units.
Different newspapers have been running reports on the steep increase in the wealth of the AL leaders on the basis of their wealth statements submitted to the Election Commission with applications for candidacy in the January 5 polls.
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The party top brass are also uncomfortable at the media reports on the wealth of party ministers, state ministers and MPs, said sources in the AL.
The ruling party, however, will do nothing about it at this moment, as it is now more concerned about the January 5 polls and the opposition's agitation.
"The party chief [Sheikh Hasina] is aware of the issue and will take steps against them after the election. The corrupt ministers and state ministers might not be included in the next government," a senior AL leader told The Daily Star on condition of anonymity.
Matiur Rahman, acting president of Sunamganj district AL, said, "Some of the ministers, state ministers and MPs have amassed wealth beyond belief, tarnishing the party's image."
He added, "The Awami League is a party of Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani, Bangabandhu and Shamsul Haque. This party is based on ideology, not business."
Momtajul Islam, general secretary of Nilphamari district AL, said the leaders who had earned crores of taka illegally did great harm to the party.
"The grassroots leaders and activists are disappointed and have lost confidence in the party," he said.
Slamming the ministers who amassed wealth by illegal means, Matin Sarker, general secretary of Mymensingh district AL, urged the party president to take organisational action against them after probing the corruption allegations.
He said the party has to take the blame for their unethical activities. "Those who are loyal to Bangabandhu cannot support this."
Shahin Chaklader, general secretary of Jessore district AL, said individuals, not the party, are to blame for such misdeeds.
" If any leader had gathered wealth illegally, the
party should take action against him," he added.
Urging the party to go tough on the corrupt leaders, Abdul Wahab, general secretary of Sujanagar upazila AL in Pabna, said the party must not spare those who would be found guilty of indulging in corruption.
"As a member of the Awami League, I don't support this."
Ishak Ali Sarker, president of Birol upazila AL in Dinajpur, said the party should look into the sources of income of every AL minister.
Stressing the need for a law to make it mandatory for ministers and MPs to publish wealth statements ever year, Mohammad Ali Khasru, general secretary of Sandwip upazila AL, said the party ministers who made money by abusing power had betrayed the party chief.
The AL's image would be damaged for these ministers, he said.
Humayun Kabir, acting general secretary of Companiganj upazila AL in Sylhet, said though a section of leaders were involved in corruption, the whole party would now have to pay the price.