Nasim, Lenin included; full ALCWC announced
The ruling Awami League has brought a major change in its presidium by dropping three influential figures — Home Minister Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir, Labour Minister Rajiuddin Ahmed Raju and advocate Yusuf Hossain Humayun.
Former Home Minister and central committee member Mohammad Nasim and party's outgoing Publicity Affairs Secretary Nooh-Ul-Alam Lenin have been promoted to the presidium, the highest policymaking body of the party.
Four posts — two of presidium members, one of departmental secretary and one of central committee member — of the 73-member AL Central Working Committee (ALCWC) are still vacant. AL General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam said the posts would be filled up later.
Announcing the party's committee yesterday, Ashraf said Alamgir, Raju and Humayun had been made members of the AL Advisory Council. Party stalwarts Amir Hossain Amu, Tofail Ahmed, Suranjit Sengupta and Abdul Jalil have also been kept in the 41-member AL advisory council like the last committee.
Besides, some other ALCWC leaders have also been dropped from the party and replaced by some new faces, including newly elected AL lawmaker from Gazipur Simeen Hussain Rimi, also daughter of the country's first prime minister Tajuddin Ahmad.
Among those excluded are former communications minister Syed Abul Hossain, who was the international affairs secretary of AL.
Both Abul and Raju have been at the centre of controversies over the last two years — the former for his alleged involvement in the Padma bridge project graft and the latter for his brother's alleged involvement in the murder of Narsingdi municipal mayor Lokman Hossain.
Abul was first removed from the communications ministry and then from the cabinet altogether following the World Bank's allegation of corruption conspiracy against him.
Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury, state minister for women and children affairs, has replaced Abul in the central committee.
Party insiders said the exclusion of Abul Hossain would help the government negotiate with the World Bank regarding the Padma bridge financing.
Highly placed party sources said Alamgir had also been removed for his involvement in a recent controversial incident.
Hasan Mahmud, party's former forest and environment affairs secretary, has been promoted as the top publicity secretary. His earlier post remained vacant.
The new faces in the committee include Rimi [Gazipur], Subhas Bose [Narail], Dhirendra Chandra Debnath Shambhu MP [Borguna], Rabiul Muktadir Chowdhury MP [Brahmanbaria], Alauddin Nasim [Feni], prime minister's Special Assistant Abdus Sobhan Golap [Madaripur], Nasrul Hamid Bipu MP [Dhaka], and Junaid Ahmed Polok MP [Natore].
Those who have been dropped from the central committee are Mohammad Altaf Hossain [Magura], Sheikh Harun-or-Rashid [Khulna], Syeda Zebunnesa [Sylhet], Bipul Ghosh [Faridpur], Tipu Munshi MP [Rangpur], Mojibur Rahman Majnu [Bogra] and Akhtar Jahan [Rajshahi].
The names of AL's Parliamentary Board and the committee of the Awami League's assistant secretaries were also announced yesterday.
In the parliamentary board, former AL General Secretary Abdul Jalil has been included anew.
On December 29, 2012, party councillors re-elected Sheikh Hasina as the AL president for the seventh term and Syed Ashraf as general secretary for the second term.
Hasina and Ashraf were also empowered by the councillors to form the central committee.
Source:The Daily Star
