Ruling Awami League has moved to expand its alliance in response to main opposition BNP's ongoing push for a greater anti-government political platform.
Upon directives from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, some AL top brass, over the last few days, scrambled to talk unity with some smaller parties.
BNP already formally sat and discussed possible alliance with some smaller parties including some Islamist parties that exist only in letterheads.
AL Presidium Member Obaidul Quader informally talked to at least 10 top leaders of different parties including the Communist Party of Bangladesh, Krishak Sramik Janata League, Bangladesh Kallyan Party, Liberal Democratic Party, Bikalpadhara Bangladesh, and Gono Forum seeking to form a greater unity to work on some common matters.
"If everything goes fine, our leader Sheikh Hasina will sit and talk to them finally," said Quader.
The ruling party simultaneously took an initiative to reduce the existing gap between AL and its allies in the grand alliance and 14-party coalition. It also made a move to involve its "out of favour" leaders like Amir Hossain Amu, Abdur Razzaq, Tofail Ahmed, and Suranjit Sengupta in gearing up the party's activities.
AL General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam will sit with the components of 14-party coalition within a couple of days. Obaidul Quader already visited on Tuesday night the offices of the Workers Party of Bangladesh, and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD), two components of the 14-party combine.
After Ashraf's talks with AL's 14-party allies, chief of the grand alliance Sheikh Hasina will also talk to the leaders of each ally personally.
Asked about the necessity of expanding the alliance, Obaidul Quader said, "We are not thinking about the next election. Rather we are thinking about the next generation and the future of Bangladesh. Our common glory is the country's war of liberation and parliamentary democracy, our common enemy is poverty, and our common dangers are militancy and religious extremism."
"To combat the enemy and the dangers we need common friends to work together, and for this reason we want a greater unity. Even we want to reach a consensus with the main opposition BNP, as we want to protect and uphold our glory anyhow."
He said BNP wants unity with smaller parties only to go to power, which will not be successful.
AL ORGANISATIONAL TOUR
Eighteen central teams of AL will tour 21 districts of the country this month to drum up public support for the 15th amendment to the constitution, against which BNP is seeking a greater anti-government unity.
The tours will take place between July 26 and 29, and AL stalwarts including Amu, Razzaq, Tofail, and Suranjit, who were dropped from the helm of the party, will lead some of the touring teams.
"The objectives of our organisational tour programmes are to focus on the constitutional amendment, explaining under which circumstances the government had to bring the amendments, and on strengthening coordination among the government, the party, and the grand alliance components," said Obaidul Quader who will lead a team to Feni and Noakhali.
ALCWC MEETING
At a meeting of the AL Central Working Committee (ALCWC) chaired by party President Sheikh Hasina yesterday, most of the party leaders emphasised on strengthening the organisation through holding councils of all grassroots units.
The five-hour meeting starting at 5:00pm was held in prime minister's official residence Gono Bhaban.
At the meeting the AL leaders recommended bringing coordination among ministers and party leaders, and reducing the gap between the party lawmakers and grassroots leaders and workers, and also with the allies in the grand alliance, according to sources present at the meeting.
Some leaders suggested highlighting the government's development activities among the people to weaken the opposition's anti-government propaganda.
They also urged the premier to anyhow keep the prices of essentials stable during the Ramadan. One leader criticised the police assault on the opposition chief whip during the last hartal.
Hasina told the meeting that she is closely monitoring the activities of the party lawmakers. If the lawmakers do not work for the people's welfare, and maintain distance from party leaders and the common people, they will not be given party tickets in the next election, she cautioned.
Source : The Daily Star
