Ruling Bangladesh Awami League has decided to go for a crackdown against the fake outfits centring the party and those who are involved with those outfit.
Around 300 fake outfits centring the party have mushroomed across the country in the last few years.
According to sources, all those fake outfits have been formed by some intruders, opportunists, cheats and frauds by misusing the name of Awami League, its different associate bodies, the name of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her mother Bangamata Fazilatunnesa and other members of their family.
Besides, some of the leaders and activists of the Awami League and its different associate bodies are also allegedly involved with these fake outfits and opportunist groups. They are allegedly sheltering those cheats, frauds and intruders for their own interests, the sources said.
Party leaders said, the image of the ruling party is being tarnished due to such illegal and dishonest acts by some unscrupulous leaders and activists of the party.
In the circumstances, the ruling party has decided to go tough with those fake outfits as well as those who are involved with these dishonest acts.
The ruling party has decided to identify those fake outfits immediately and take punitive measures against those who are involved with these dishonest acts.
Awami League has already suspended businesswoman Helena Jahangir from the Awami League’s subcommittee on women’s affairs for her involvement with an unauthorised organisation that claimed to have been seeking an official affiliation with the ruling party.
Helena, a director of the apex trade body Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce & Industries (FBCCI) and chairperson of Joyjatra TV, also identifies herself as the president of the IP TV Owners Association of Bangladesh.
Her name came up on social media recently as the president of ‘Bangladesh Awami Chakrijibi League’, a group with no official links to the ruling party.
A press release signed by Lawmaker Meher Afroz Chumki, also Women Affairs Secretary of Awami League, was issued in this regard on Sunday.
Helena was removed from the position as her recent activities spread through social media breached organization policies, read the release.
Helena's name recently surfaced on social media as the president of the Bangladesh Awami Chakrijibi League.
She had urged all to become members of the claimed ruling party-affiliated organisation.
Members of the newly-formed wing said it had been seeking an official affiliation with Awami League for two to three years.
However, ruling party leaders have denied any connection with the outfit.
Talking to journalists, Lawmaker Meher Afroz Chumki said, “She (Helena Jahangir) is doing whatever she likes without realising what would happen. And she is doing these without informing us. I have asked our office to send her a letter of removal. We have cancelled her membership because she broke the rules,”
Chumki said they kept Helena on the committee because she is an adviser to the party’s Cumilla District Unit. Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque is involved with Helena’s Joyjatra TV media, according to Chumki.
Meanwhile, Helena’s old photos with BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and the late Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad surfaced on social media again.
Helena said on Facebook that she had uploaded the photos herself after taking those at wedding parties.
According to sources, around 300 such fake organisations have been mushroomed across the country and even abroad. Jananetri Sheikh Hasina Kendriya League, Jananetri Sheikh Hasina Kendriya Parishad, Awami Prochar League, Awami Somobai League, Awami Trinamool League, Awami Chhinnamul Hawkers League, Awami Motor Chalak League, Awami Tarun League, Awami Rickshaw Malik-Shramik Oikya League, Awami Jubo Hawkers League, Awami Muktijoddha Prajanma League, Awami Pangu Muktijoddha League, Awami Paribahan Sramik League, Awami Nouka Shramik League, Awami Khudra Matsyajibi League, Awami Jubo Sanskritic Jote, Bangabandhur Adarsha O Chetona Gobeshona Parishad, Bangabandhu Soinik League, Bangabandhur Soinik League, Bangabandhu Academy, Bangabandhu Nagorik Sanghati Parishad, Bangabandhu Foundation, Bangabandhu Lekhok League, Bangabandhu Lekhok Parishad, Bangabandhu Prajanmo League, Bangabandhu Jubo Parishad, Bangabandhu Chhatra Parishad, Bangabandhu Smriti Sangrakkhan Parishad, Bangabandhu Bastuhara League, Bangabandhu Awami Hawkers Federation, Bangabandhur Chintadhara Bastobayan Parishad, Bangabandhu Diploma Prokoushali Parishad, Bangabandhu Gram Dakter Parishad, Bangabandhu Nagorik Sanghati Parishad, Bangabandhu Lekhok League, Bangabandhu Gobeshona Parishad, Bangabandhu Adarsha Parishad, Amra Mujib Sena, Amra Mujib Hobo, Chetonai Mujib, Muktijoddha Tarun League, Noukar Somorthok Goshti, Deshiyo Chikitsok League, Chhinnamul Matsyajibi League, Khudra Babsayee League, Noukar Natun Prajanmo, Digital Chhatra League, Digital Awami Prajanmo League, Digital Awami Olama League, Bangladesh Awami Porjoton League, Thikana Bangladesh, Janatar Protyasha, Russel Memorial Academy, Jananetri Parishad, Deshratna Parishad, Bangamata Parishad, Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Parishad, Amra Noukar Projonmo, Awami Shishu-Jubok Sangskritik Jot, Trinomul League, Ekushe August Ghatok Nirmul Committee, Awami Prochar League, Sajeeb Wazed Joy League, Bangladesh Tothya-Projukti League, Awami Shishu League, Awami Trinamul League, Awami Tarun Projonmo League, Awami Chakrijibi League and Bangladesh Janaseba League are among those fake organisations.
Meanwhile, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader, also the Minister for Road, Transport and Bridges, on Sunday said that there is no scope for any unauthorized organisation of being affiliated with Awami League without any approval.
He made the statement while speaking to reporters at a briefing held at his government residence.
Obaidul Quader mentioned that when a party is in power, various types of people, including opportunists, frauds and touts always try to take advantages.
“But, as a responsible party and the leaders of the party, we must have to be careful about it so that vested quarters could not misuse power”, he said.
He also vowed to take proper punitive measures against those who are involved.