Sheikh Fazle Shams Parash has been named as the chairman of Jubo League, the organisation founded by his father Sheikh Fazlul Haq Moni.

He was elected unopposed at the 7th National Congress of the ruling Awami League's youth affiliate on Saturday (Nov 23).

His father Moni, one of the organisers of the 1971 Liberation War, was elected chairman of Jubo League in its first congress in 1974 after he formed the organisation on orders from Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Parash, 51, had been pursuing a career in academia having obtained a masters degree in English from the University of Dhaka.

His younger brother Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh is the lawmaker from Dhaka-10, a constituency he represents for the third term.

Parash's uncle Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim is a member of the Awami League's policymaking Presidium and also served as the chairman of Jubo League.

He succeeds Omar Faruk Chowdhury, who is the husband of Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim’s sister, as chairman of the organisation.

Faruk was ousted from his post amid the government's crackdown on illegal casino business in which a number of influential Jubo League leaders were implicated.

Meanwhile, Mainul Hosain Khan Nikhil, the incumbent president of Dhaka City north unit Jubo League, has been named as the new general secretary.

A total of seven aspirants were contesting for the general secretary post of the organizations.

They are: Mainul Khan Nikhil, Mohiuddin Mohi, Belal Hossain, Subrata Pal, Monjurul Alam Shahin, Iqbal Mahmud Bablu and Bodhiul Alam.

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader announced Nikhil as general secretary following party’s President Sheikh Hasina’s instruction.

Before announcing the name, Quader asked the seven aspirants to reach a compromise among them over the post but they failed and vested all authority upon Sheikh Hasina.  

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the first session of the seventh triennial congress at the Suhrawardy Udyan while the second session was held at the Institute of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB) in Dhaka.