Dhaka – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was reelected president of the ruling Awami League unopposed for the eighth consecutive time, while Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader its general secretary for the first time, UNB news agency reported.
The councillors of Awami League, one of the oldest political parties of the country, unanimously elected them in its 20th council as there were no other candidates for the two top party posts.Earlier, Awami League leader Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury proposed Hasina’s name for the post of president, while Awami League leader Syed Ashraful Islam proposed Obaidul Quader’s name as general secretary. Awami League leader Jahangir Kabir Nanak seconded Ashraf’s proposal.
Sheikh Hasina was first made the Awami League President in its council in 1981.
Quader is a former president of Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student associate body of Awami League, and presidium member of the ruling party of its last committee.
Earlier, Dr Abdur Razzak, convener of constitution sub-committee of the council, presented amendments to the party constitution which was passed by the councilors.
As per the amendment, the size of national committee will be 180 in place of the existing 170. The committee will hold meeting once a year instead of every six months. But the meeting will be held more than once a year if the party President wishes.
According to the amendments, the number of presidium members will be increased to 19, including party president and general secretary, from the existing 15 while that of joint secretaries to 4 from the existing three. Besides, there will be eight organising secretaries in place of seven.
There will be a 19-member Local Government Nomination Board for party nomination in the local government bodies.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday said no one should keep on holding one post for a long time although she is accepting the responsibility of Awami League president bestowed upon her.
“I’ve been in the post of president for 35 years long, there’ll come a time when you’ll have to say me goodbye because one should not continue in one post, the new leadership has to be built,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina said this just after being elected as the president of the ruling Awami League for the eighth consecutive time in the triennial council of the party.
Vowing to discharge the responsibility properly, she said the responsibility of Awami League president is huge. “I’ll try my level best to carry out the big responsibility that you’ve bestowed upon me once again.”
Hasina, however, said it is hard to perform the responsibilities of Prime Minister and in the organisational post simultaneously. “This time you’ve given me, I’m accepting it,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina also said the next election will be held in 2019. “I never want AL being put into question in any election. I want AL to win the next election and serve the people of Bangladesh.”
Hasina mentioned that all the organisational activities of the ruling party will continue keeping the next election in mind. “We’ll continue our programmes for the uplift of the socioeconomic status of the country as per our election manifesto and I seek cooperation from you all,” she said.
She again vowed to remove poverty from the country and asked the AL leaders and activists to prepare the list of ultra poor who are homeless and under distressed position.
“In the meantime, we’ve reduced the poverty rate but we want to keep it at the zero level; I want all-out cooperation from you in performing my responsibility that you have given to me,” she said.
Talking about the outgoing general secretary of the ruling party, she appreciated Syed Ashraful Islam for performing as general secretary of the party for two consecutive times.
“He is like younger brother to me. As the child of a martyr family, he loves the country and the organisation from his heart and soul,” she said.
