Awami League chief and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has instructed the leadership of the party’s student affiliate Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) to drop controversial leaders from its recently announced full-fledged central committee.
BCL President Rezwanul Haque Chowdhury Shovon told Bangla Tribune that Hasina’s instruction came on Wednesday (May 15) when he and the organisation’s General Secretary Golam Rabbani went to meet her.
“The prime minister has asked to open inquiries over allegations floated against certain leaders in the committee. If the allegations turn out to be true, then those post will be declared vacant,” Shovon said.
The development comes after deprived BCL leaders on Tuesday gave a 48-hour deadline to reform the central committee or they will resign en masse.
BCL announced its 301-member full-fledged central committee on Monday, a year after its national council was held.
Hours after the announcement, at least 50 leaders and activists who did not get the desired posts, joined a press briefing at Madhur Canteen in the evening. Hundreds of BCL leaders attacked and foiled the press briefing, soon after it started.
BCL held its last national council in May 2018, but failed to elect a new leadership.
Later, on July 31, Hasina appointed Shovon and Rabbani as president and general secretary.
In the last few months, party top brasses were ordered to have a full committee formed, and leaders and activists were given an ultimatum.
Last month, Hasina ordered the leaders to announce the committee within seven days, but Shovon and Rabbani failed apparently due to an intra-party conflict between present and former leaders of the BCL.
On May 11, after returning from London, Hasina reportedly ordered Joint General Secretary Jahangir Kabir Nanak to form the committee and 48 hours later, the BCL committe was announced.