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Jalil’s retirement from politics amounts to political ‘hara-kiri’
By Staff Reporter
Sat, 7 Jul 2007, 23:00:00

Political analysts are considering detained Awami League general secretary M Abdul Jalil’s announcement of possible retirement from active politics as ‘a political hara-kiri’ by a veteran politician like him.

They think that the remarks of Jalil in his letter to the Chief Adviser have already created strong uproar inside Awami League. It will also have a far-reaching impact on the Awami League politics and the party’s leadership in future.

According to them, Jalil’s remarks will go in favour of those who are known as “reformists” inside the Awami League. The position of reformists inside the party will be strengthened by Jalil’s remarks and observations against Sheikh Hasina.

At the same, his letter will lead to a deep division inside the ranks and files of Awami League and undermine the absolute authority exercised by Sheikh Hasina along with her close relatives inside the party for long.

Besides, Jalil’s letter will create confusion and frustration among the party’s leaders and workers at grassroots level.

In a letter to Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed from Dhaka Central Jail on Thursday, Jalil blamed Awami League President Sheikh Hasina for “exercising dictatorial powers” in the party, saying that Hasina was solely responsible for ruining the party.

He also urged the Chief Adviser to free him on humanitarian grounds.

If necessary, Jalil also expressed his willingness to retire from politics.

Jalil’s announcement of retiring from politics came as a bolt from the blue for his party colleagues who could not imagine that a veteran and elderly politician like Jalil could go down to such an extent for his release from jail.

Senior leaders of Awami League, who are close associates of Jalil in the party have strongly criticized the remarks of their party’s general secretary although the reformists in BNP praised Jalil’s remarks saying that his remarks are also applicable to BNP and its chairperson.

Jalil has been described as a ‘coward’ by the party’s acting general secretary Mukul Bose.

In an interview with a private television channel yesterday, Mukul Bose said yesterday that Jalil, criticizing Sheikh Hasina in his letter to the Chief Adviser, had proved himself as a coward.

When Jalil was outside the jail, he never made such kinds of remarks. But he made the undesirable remarks criticizing the party chief after he was sent to jail.

“His remarks indicate that he has now become a coward,” Mukul Bose said.

On the other hand, BNP’s joint secretary general Ashraf Hossain yesterday praised Jalil’s remarks.

“What Awami League general secretary M Abdul Jalil said in his letter about the party chief is also applicable to BNP,” he said.

According to Ashraf Hossain, Jalil identified some problems in his letter regarding his party chief Sheikh Hasina. “BNP is also afflicted by the same problems. That is why the progress of democratic BNP has seriously been affected,” he said.

Ashraf Hossain also observed that nurturing family dynasty, ignoring the party’s ideology, patronizing sycophants and sheltering looters inside the party seriously tarnished the image of BNP.

Besides, the party’s democratic progress has also been affected due to these reasons, he said.

Meanwhile, three presidium members of Awami League have made separate proposals for massive reforms in the party.

Mukul Bose thinks that it has become necessary to convene the council meeting of the party to implement these reform proposals. “That is why the caretaker government should lift ban on indoor politics as soon as possible,” he said.

According to Mukul Bose, it is necessary to hold the council meeting to finalise the reform proposals. “We need to contact with our leaders in different districts for holding the council meeting,” he said.

At the same time, the government would have to allow opening the party offices. “It has now become impossible due to the ban on indoor politics,” he said.

Mukul Bose also demanded of the government to allow Sheikh Hasina to go abroad for her treatment.


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