Staff Correspondent
Courtesy New Age 28/9/09
The ruling Awami League is expected to discuss at its central committee meeting the reported statements by its former general secretary against party chief and prime minister Sheikh Hasina that apparently embarrassed the government and the party rank and file.
‘The matter will be discussed at the party’s central working committee meeting slated for October 3 although it is not included in the agenda. You will come to know the decision, if any, to this effect,’ agriculture minister, Matia Chowdhury, told reporters on Sunday.
The party’s acting president Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, however, rubbished the statements of former general secretary Abdul Jalil and said a mischievous campaign by a lone leader would not make any dent in the party.
‘Once someone gets off the boat, he can never get on to it,’ Sajeda said, referring to the dropping of Jalil from the party position.
The former
In interviews given to a number of London-based media, Jail said that he had made a mistake by not going against Hasina on her return to the country from abroad to protect his post during the 2007-08 regime of an army-backed government.
Jalil, who was detained by the military-backed administration and gave undertaking in custody that he would leave politics, was asked by the party chief not to function as the party secretary after he was released from jail.
Jalil and four other party stalwarts were eventually sidelined from the party’s policymaking body in the latest triennial council session of the party held in June.
The former minister said the
Following his statement published in the newspapers and telecast by electronic media at home and abroad, activists of the
Asked about possible steps against the former
She observed that those comments might have been made to help the opposition parties. ‘But he [Jalil] will not be able to achieve what he wants,’ Matia added.
Asked whether there is any conspiracy against the government, the agriculture minister said that it was very natural. The government must remain alert and work efficiently to foil any conspiracies.
When asked whether the present cabinet is weak as stated by Jalil, Matia said that the prime minister had selected her cabinet colleagues. ‘She [prime minister] will decide who will be included or who will be excluded.’
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