The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Bangladesh Awami League (AL) yesterday decided to seek six more months from the Election Commission to hold its party council.

Party spokesperson Syed Ashraful told reporters after a meeting of the AL presidium, chaired by party chief and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

'We will send a formal letter to the commission within a few days', said Ashraf.

The meeting observed that "it won't be possible to convene Awami League council to amend the party constitution because of floods and, as such, fixing any date for the council will be risky".

Earlier, the Election Commission had set July 25 for political parties to submit their constitutions amended by their party councils in line with the RPO (Representation of the People Order).

Syed Ashraful Islam,also the LGRD Minister said councils of the party's nine organizational districts were not yet held. The process of holding the councils for these districts will start from next week.

Besides, he said, 11 district committees have no full-fledged committees, which will be completed "soon".

He said the presidium meeting stressed injecting dynamism into the party.

Ashraful said the meeting expressed satisfaction over the "stable market prices" despite the announcement of the new budget and thanked the Finance Minister and officials concerned for preparing the national budget within such a short time.

Asked if the meeting discussed the reported expansion of the cabinet, he said: "The matter was not discussed."

About food poisoning to kill Sheikh Hasina in the prison during the past caretaker government's rule, as alleged by an Adviser, Ashraful said this was also not discussed in the meeting.