The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Dhaka City Awami League vice-president MA Aziz and joint secretary Advocate Qumrul Islam have been made acting president and acting general secretary as part of efforts to revitalise party activity in the capital.

The decision was taken unanimously at a meeting between the leaders of the central and city unit of the Awami League with acting AL president Zillur Rahman in the chair yesterday.

The meeting asked the new leaders to strengthen its organizational activities ahead of the city corporation elections.

Earlier, Awam League (AL) had decided to dissolve the existing Dhaka City unit committees and bring in new faces to gear up their activities.

AL leaders Abdur Razzak, Ataur Rahman Khan Kaiser, Syed Ashraful Islam, Mukul Bose, Saber Hossain Chowdhury, Abdul Mannan, Mahmudur Rahman Manna, Sultan Mohammad Monsur Ahmed, Latif Siddqui, Mostafa Jalal Mohiuddin, AKM Jahangir, Col (retd) Faruq Khan, Capt (retd) Tajul slam and Dhaka City unit leaders MA Aziz, Faizuddin Mia, Shah Alam Murad, Abdul Quddus, Sheikh Bazlur Rahman, Mukul Chowdhury, Abdul Haq Sabuj, Adv Qumrul Islam, Abdul Quddus and Aslamul Huq Aslam, among others, were present at the meeting.

The meeting asked the City unit leaders to remain vigilant so that every city dweller could be enlisted in the voter list and inspire the city ward leaders so they can take similar initiatives.

In 2005, AL had formed eight committees, led by eight party presidium members, to sort out their infighting and ensure better coordination in the party activities in eight parliamentary constituencies of capital Dhaka, but they could not resolve their disputes.

As some of the presidium members are now in jail, the meeting included some more leaders and asked the eight committees to start work afresh.

Talking to journalists after the meeting, Zillur Rahman said a flawless voter list is essential for fair polls and all should remain vigilant about it as election is the best way to hand over power.

"Seeing government initiatives, it seems that there would be an election and we all need to prepare for the polls," he said.

But he hastened to say that the party central working committee would decide whether AL would participate in the elections.

Zillur urged the government to lift the ban on indoor politics across the country saying that organizational activities are being hampered due to the restriction.

He also demanded the release of detained party chief Sheikh Hasina immediately and vowed to continue the legal battles to have her released.

Zillur also urged the government to withdraw the "false" case against Sheikh Rehana, the younger sister of Sheikh Hasina, and demanded the release of other detained party leaders and workers, including AL general secretary Abdul Jalil and Dhaka University teachers.

The AL Acting President also called on the government to distribute fertilizer and agricultural inputs among the farmers and take initiatives to control the soaring prices of essentials.