Senior Awami League leaders have said the selection of Abdul Mannan Khan and Pijush Kanti Bhattacharya as presidium members and Syed Ashraf’s proposing the name of Obaidul Quader as general secretary of the party were the three surprises of the 20th council session of the ruling party.
Most of the party men were surprised following the selection of Abdul Mannan Khan and Pijush Kanti Bhattacharya as presidium members of the party, said two AL presidium members to Prothom Alo.
Some of the leaders present at the session said Pijush might have been selected as there was no member from the Khulna division in the last presidium committee. Pijush Kanti Bhattacharya is the vice president of Jessore district AL.
Mannan Khan lost in the 5 January 2014 polls after he was removed from the state minister post. He also had been summoned by the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) a number of times, accused of acquiring illegal wealth. He was also not seen as the office secretary after losing the constituency and ministerial post.
A number of the leaders were surprised after Sheikh Hasina announced Abdul Mannan’s name as a presidium member in the council session.
A joint general secretary of AL said, “I couldn’t believe my ears when his name was announced. But the party chief has taken the decision she deems better.”
And proposing Obaidul Quader’s name by Syed Ashraf as general secretary was the biggest surprise of all, said Obaidul Quader himself.
Talking to reporters at a community centre in Dhaka, Obaidul Quader said, “The biggest surprise of all was that Syed Ashraf proposed my name as general secretary. This is the charisma of Sheikh Hasina’s leadership.”
Source: Prothom Alo
