AL Council reelects Sheikh Hasina as party president

The 20th Awami League council yesterday unanimously reelected incumbent party President Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina while elected Obaidul Quader as its new general secretary.

The two-day national council of Awami League ended at the Engineers' Institution here this afternoon with the formation of new committee of the party. 

This is the eighth time Sheikh Hasina, the elder daughter of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was elected as the head of Awami League, one of the oldest political party of the subcontinent.

Veteran AL leader and Deputy Leader of the Jatiya Sangsad Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury proposed Sheikh Hasina's name for president, which was accepted unanimously.

Meanwhile, former general secretary Syed Ashraf proposed Obaidul Quader's name as his successor. Jahangir Kabir Nanak endorsed the proposal leading to end of speculations surrounding this post.

Speaking at her concluding council speech, Sheikh Hasina appreciated Syed Ashraf as the outgoing general secretary saying as a member of a martyred family Syed Ashraf loves the party and country with heart and soul. 

"yesterday, he (Syed Ashraf) himself spontaneously proposed the name of Quader, who came to such a stage from a student leader," she said.

Sheikh Hasina also appreciated Quader saying he also played a crucial role to strengthen the organization by working round-the-clock for the party. 

later, the AL president announced the name of newly elected Presidium Members and joint general secretaries of the party.

The presidium members are Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, Begum Matia Chowdhury, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Mohammad Nasim, Kazi Zafarullah, Syed Ashraful Islam, Advocate Sahara Khatun, Engineer Mosharraf Hossain, Nurul Islam Nahid, Dr Abdur Razzak, Muhammad Faruk Khan, Advocate Abdul Mannan Khan, Ramesh Chandra Sen (Thakurgaon) and Pijush Bhattacharya (Jessore).

The name of two other presidium members would be announced after discussion with all concerned, Sheikh Hasina said.

The joint general secretaries are Mahbub-ul Alam Hanif, Dr Dipu Moni, Jahangir Kabir Nanak and Abdur Rahman.

The AL chief also declared the name of HN Ashiqur Rahman as the treasurer of the party.

Sheikh Hasina said the name of other secretaries and members would be declared after discussion with all concerned. 

Ruling Awami League has endorsed its amended constitution on the second day of its 20th council, expanding its central working committee by nine more posts.

Abdur Razzak, chairman of the AL's constitution committee, proposed the amendments which were unanimously passed at the closed door session at Engineers' Institute.

According to the amendment, four more posts for presidium members, one for joint secretary, one for organising secretary and two for general members have been created to make 81 posts. 

Source: BSS