Bangladesh
Awami League Agitating Awami League workers block highway in Tongi
Dhaka, 22 September 2020: Deprived leaders and activists of Awami League have blocked highways in Tongi of Gazipur metropolis. Awami League announced the convening committee of 39 wards of Gazipur metropolitan- from 19th to 56th- on Sunday afternoon. The agitating members expressed their displeasure and said the committee did not evaluate the hard-working leaders and workers of the Awami League and included hybrid leaders.
In protest of this, the deposed leaders and activists started gathering in procession at the regional office of Awami League in Tongi from Monday afternoon.
They were joined by leaders and activists of local Juba League, Chhatra League, Mahila League and allied organizations. Later, several thousand Awami League leaders and activists and supporters blocked the Tongi Station Road area of the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway with a procession.
Leaders and activists chanted slogans such as "I will not obey illegal committee, I will not obey committee in exchange for money, I will not obey, I will not obey pocket committee". Within hours, the agitated leaders and activists lifted the blockade with an ultimatum to abolish the announced pocket committee.
The leaders and workers of a section of the party have complained that the posts of the leaders and workers of the party have been deprived. Two leaders of the metropolitan Awami League have identified leaders following the local minister and removed them from the committee.
Tongi Thana Awami League president Fazlul Haque, who took part in the protest procession and blockade, said those who were on the streets during the hard times for the party, who were victims of jail-torture, have been neglected in various ward Awami League convening committees. hybrid leaders have been given important positions.
Gazipur metropolitan Awami League general secretary and city mayor Jahangir Alam was contacted on his mobile phone and said that those who gave the 48-hour ultimatum were not members of the Awami League. They are leaders and activists of Juba League, Chhatra League and Mahila League. The Awami League cannot run according to their words. After discussing all the senior leaders, only qualified people have been given place in the committee. It is not possible to give posts to all the members of the convening committee. If there is a full committee, many will get a place in the committee.
