Ex-BCL leaders busy choosing new chief, gen secy

Former leaders of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) have begun brainstorming to choose the new president and general secretary of the Awami League's student wing amid its National Council. They have held a number of meetings since Saturday afternoon in and around the ruling party President Sheikh Hasina's Dhanmondi political office in Dhaka. BCL's current and former presidents and general secretaries held one of them at that office around 4:30pm. The one-and-half-hour-long meeting discussed finding a suitable new leadership, sources said. The 28th National Council that started on Saturday after a two-year gap will end this (Sunday) afternoon. Some of the aspirants have claimed that it was impossible to get posts in the committee without the ‘blessings’ of the ‘syndicate’ of former president Liakat Shikdar. An Awami League leader, asking not to be named, said on Saturday: His (Liakat Shikdar’s) followers say that (Prime Minister) Sheikh Hasina now listens to him. Sajeeb Wazed Joy will also listen to him."
Apart from current President Badiuzzaman Shohag and General Secretary Siddiqui Nazmul Alam, former leaders who attended the Saturday afternoon meeting included Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, Prime Minister Hasina's Personal Assistant Saifuzzaman Shekhor, Awami League's Organising Secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim, Bahadur Bepari, Liakat Shikdar, Enamul Haque Shamim, Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury and others. One of the attendees, seeking anonymity, said they would meet party chief Hasina later at night and inform her about the leaders they would ideally like heading BCL. The president and general secretary aspirants, meanwhile, have sought support from the councillors of different district units. Sheikh Hasina earlier suggested electing a new leadership through voting, according to bdnews24.com.

- mbz