Photo: Messenger
After failing to build resistance during the quota movement, the ruling party, Awami League, has initiated an organisational overhaul to address internal weaknesses. Since the incident, party leaders have repeatedly convened meetings to highlight their organizational shortcomings.
Consequently, the party has instructed to compile a list of inactive leaders from Awami League and its affiliate organisations who were absent during the anti-quota movement. As a result, inactive leaders of Awami League and its affiliated organisations are now attempting to become active. Meanwhile, due to their failure to resist, the committees of 27 units from Mohammadpur, Adabar, and Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police stations in Dhaka have been dissolved.
However, Awami League leaders are reluctant to directly acknowledge the party's weaknesses. They claim that while the party is strong, there is some disorganization, which they are working to rectify.
The anti-discrimination student movement concerning quota reform has been active since the beginning of this month, but it gained significant momentum from the end of the second week. Initially, students planned a program called "Bengali Clocked." Later, they announced a complete shutdown program, which eventually led to a violent situation, resulting in numerous casualties. During this three to four-day movement, vandals caused widespread destruction and arson across the country. In attempting to build resistance, many leaders and activists of Awami League and its affiliates were humiliated in several places. Notably, there was considerable discussion about the disruption of student activities at universities nationwide. Subsequently, the government imposed a curfew starting last Saturday and declared a general holiday.
As the situation began to normalize after military deployment, Awami League started holding meetings among its leaders. Since last Sunday, several meetings have been held under the leadership of the party's General Secretary and Minister for Road Transport and Bridges, Obaidul Quader. The discussions have focused on the party's failure to curb vandalism and the lack of coordination.
Multiple sources within Awami League indicate that the party's chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has miraculously secured the party's fourth consecutive term in power. Having been in power for a long time, factional lobbying within the party has intensified. The existence of factions among the leaders of the parent organization has led to similar situations in affiliate and allied organizations. In particular, the party has become divided in various ways ahead of the twelfth national parliamentary elections. This is because, although Awami League granted nominations in this election, there were no restrictions on independent candidacies. Consequently, there has been significant division across the country between candidates endorsed by the party and independent candidates.
On Thursday, the committees of 27 units from Mohammadpur, Adabar, and Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police stations in the Dhaka metropolitan area were dissolved. Reports indicate that there were attacks on local offices of the ruling party in various areas included in the Dhaka-13 constituency last Thursday and Friday, and party leaders and activists were not seen during this time. Even with party directives, there was a noticeable absence of leaders and activists at the ward level, which led to the dissolution of the committees.
Several sources within the party have stated that a list of those who did not participate in the quota movement across the country has been compiled. Additionally, Awami League will not spare inactive members from its affiliates and allied organizations. As a result, many are now becoming active to save their positions. Other sources in the party indicate that Awami League is considering taking action against those hybrid leaders who have obtained positions from other parties in recent years.
Awami League’s organizing secretary, BM Mozammel Hossain, told The Daily Messenger that the notion of the party's organisational weakness is not entirely accurate. There may be some disorganisation, but they are addressing it through continuous discussions.
In recent days, he has described the movement as the violent acts of BNP and Jamaat.
Awami League Presidium member Abdur Razzaque said that anti-independence forces, particularly Jamaat and BNP, have instigated turmoil centered around the students' movement. He added that they have started working to further organize themselves and improve coordination for the future.
Messenger/Disha
