BCL president, secretary’s entry to Ganabhaban restricted

Bangladesh Chhatra League president and general secretary would face restrictions on entry to Ganabhaban, the official residence of prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

The decision came days after the prime minister and president of ruling Awami League Sheikh Hasina, at a joint meeting of the party’s parliamentary board and local government elections  nomination board on September 7, gave opinion in favour of dissolving the central committee of the party’s associate student organisation, Bangladesh Chhatra League, as she was annoyed at the committee’s activities, said AL leaders.

 According to the AL leaders, the authority concerned at Ganabhaban on Wednesday morning was instructed to not allow the BCL top office bearers without prior permission.

Earlier, BCL president Rezwanul Haque Chowdhury and its secretary Golam Rabbani enjoyed easy access to Ganabhaban — they did not need prior clearance, they said

After Saturday’s meeting, on condition of anonymity, three AL joint general secretaries told New Age that at one stage of the meeting the PM was particularly critical of the BCL committee. She said that the committee failed to perform its responsibilities in a proper way, they added.

Later, senior party leaders also explained their negative experiences with the Chhatra League committee.

They pointed out that neither BCL president Rezwanul Haque Chowdhury, nor its secretary Golam Rabbani was present at three subsequent programmes.

AL advisory council member Tofail Ahmed, education minister Dipu Moni and home minister Asaduzzaman Khan had said that they witnessed that the BCL leaders did not conform to party discipline, they said.

They further revealed that the PM also lambasted the leadership for failing to complete the council sessions of different universities, colleges and district units of the student body.

They said that the leadership had also been accused of failing to control the unrest following the announcement of the organisation’s full committee in May.

There were also allegations that some married students and activists as well as supporters of the Chhatra Dal and Chhatra Shibir had made their way into the committee by managing its key leaders, they noted.

They disclosed that Rezwanul and Rabbani were waiting at the Ganabhaban to meet the PM after the meeting. But when the meeting ended AL central leaders advised them to go back.

Later, AL general secretary Obaidul Qauder, too, asked the two BCL leaders to leave the Ganabhaban and they did, said AL leaders.

In July 2018, Hasina selected BCL’s new central leadership for two years.

The announcement of the new BCL executive committee came nearly two months after its national council session was held in May.

Day after the meeting at Ganabhaban, at a press conference at secretariat, Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, told reporters at his office that no decision was taken yet on dissolving the BCL central committee.

He, however, said that there were some strong reactions expressed regarding the BCL central committee the day before during a meeting of the senior party members.

‘As the party general secretary it would not be proper for me to comment on this matter until the process of implementation begins,’ Quader replied to a question.

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