AL leader doubts authenticity of Jalil's letter to CA

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Awami League (AL) presidium member Ataur Rahman Khan Kaiser Friday doubted authenticity of AL general secretary Abdul Jalil's letter to Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed.
Jalil, in a four-page letter addressed to Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed and signed July 2, announced his retirement from politics and appealed to the government to release him considering his critical health condition, reports UNB.
"How will people know that the letter was actually written by Jalil himself," Kaiser said.
Jalil also criticised AL president Sheikh Hasina for her "dictatorial leadership" that caused harm to the party and the nation.
Talking to reporters outside Sudha Sadan, Kaiser dismissed the allegations by some senior party leaders that desertion in AL was caused by authoritarian leadership of Sheikh Hasina.
He said party presidium meetings were convened every two days prior to the stalled national election slated for January 22 last.
He termed Suranjit Sengupta's proposal seeking to revert to the original constitution of 1972 and repose executive power to the President as contradictory.
Kaiser said it is not possible to revert to the 1972 constitution and vest executive power with the President at the same time. "But if parliament desires, then amendment to the Constitution can be moved in the House," he said
About party reforms, he said reform is a continuous process in AL, and if the senior leaders want, reforms would be carried out.
"I also want party reform, but that should be done under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina."
He added: "I am not taking it casually that the reform proposals should be carried out excluding Hasina from the process as demanded by some senior party leaders."
Spelling out some reforms as his personal opinion, Kaiser suggested that none would hold the posts of president, presidium member and general secretary for more than two consecutive terms.
He also suggested that no leader should simultaneously hold posts of party and government. "But it would be effective after the next party council," he said.
He disagreed with Hasina's proposal that a leader aged over 60 would not hold any party post and would be made adviser.
The constitution of the Awami League is acceptable to all, claimed Kaiser, but at the same time opined that it must be practiced.
Kaiser's reform proposals came after three AL reformists Abdur Razzak, Tofail Ahmed and Suranjit Sengupta announced their proposals, in which they stressed democratisation of the party, decentralisation of power, establishment of accountability and joint leadership.