Nilphamari AL council held after 11 years

Central and local Awami League leaders during council of Nilphamari unit of the party yesterday. PHOTO: STAR

Asaduzzaman Noor MP inaugurated the council, attended by party Presidium member Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir and central organising secretary Mahmudur Rahman Manna, among others.

The council was held in two sessions. It elected a new district committee headed by Dewan Kamrul Ahmed as president and Momtazul Islam as secretary.

Party sources allege that in the new body some senior and dedicated leaders were not included while new faces who came from other parties were given positions.

A candidate for the post of president, Dr Hamida Banu Shova MP, said, according to the party constitution, one councilor should be selected from every 10,000 people but this was not followed.

Many leaders brought allegations against a leader saying he played a major role in sidelining senior leaders.

Old guards like Afser Ali Ahamed, former district AL president and close associate of Bangabandhu and Kazi Aminul Haq were present at the council but they were "not allowed to address it", some party leaders alleged.

However the conference was held in a lively atmosphere as a large number party workers attended with colourful banners and festoons. There was enthusiasm all around at the venue.

In the first session, the conference was addressed by grassroots leaders and guests from Dhaka. Election was held in the second session.

Addressing the council, Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir alleged that some ruling party leaders siphoned out 1,90,000 crore taka from Bangladesh in last four and a half years.

The government is making plots for election engineering to cling to power, he alleged and urged party men to prepare to resist the move.