The ruling Awami League is set to declare its central working committee, the highest decision-making body of the party, Wednesday evening.
AL General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam is expected to announce the new committee at AL President Sheikh Hasina's political office in Dhanmondi at 7:00pm.
The new committee has been finalised by dropping some controversial figures including former communications minister Syed Abul Hossain, who had been the international affairs secretary of the AL, and Labour Minister Rajiuddin Ahmed Raju, who had been a presidium member, party sources said Tuesday night.
Senior Awami League leaders –Mohammad Nasim and Nooh-ul-Alam Lenin — will be made new AL presidium members, said AL Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif on Wednesday.
The two excluded leaders Abul and Raju have been at the centre of controversies over the last two years — the former minister for his alleged involvement in the Padma bridge project graft and the latter for his brother's alleged links to the murder of Narsingdi municipal mayor Lokman Hossain.
Abul was removed first from the communications ministry and then from the cabinet altogether following the World Bank's allegation of corruption against him.
Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury, state minister for women and children affairs, would replace him in the central committee, added the sources.
The committee was finalised at a meeting at the Gono Bhaban chaired by Hasina, also the prime minister, on Tuesday.
Sources close to Hasina on Tuesday said a few others had also been dropped from the committee, including Yusuf Hossain Humayun who was a presidium member and Syeda Zebunnesa who was a central committee member.
Hasan Mahmud, party's forest and environment affairs secretary, has been made publicity secretary.
A few new faces have been included in the committee. They include party MPs Junaid Ahmed Polok and Nasrul Hamid Bipu and prime minister's Special Assistant Abdus Sobhan Golap. Abdus Sobhan hails from Abul Hossain's constituency in Shariatpur.
However, the AL stalwarts known as “reformists” could not make it on the list.
The committee of the Awami League's assistant secretaries was also finalised at Tuesday's meeting.
The party’s nine-member parliamentary board was also finalised last night in which former Awami League general secretary Abdul Jalil was included.
Earlier on December 29 last year, party councillors reelected Sheikh Hasina for a seventh term as president and Syed Ashraf for a second term as general secretary.
Hasina and Ashraf were also empowered by the councillors to form the central committee.
Source:The Daily Star
