A section of less significant leaders and activists of the ruling party Awami League (AL) are allegedly taking advantage of their party affiliation and committing various crimes.
Such act of taking illegitimate advantage of using influence is said to be tarnishing the good image of AL which is now well known for its progress and good governance.
Some party insiders said that such workers and leaders have tendency of being involved in various crimes by using party identities has increased. On many occasions the good image of the party has been questioned in public due to crimes committed by AL’s party members.
It should be mentioned that a section of ruling party leaders and activists are being accused of various illegals activities, like the casino business, tender manipulation, issuing fake corona medical certificates, embezzlement of money through purchases in different government sectors, rape and other crimes.
Several senior leaders of the AL, which has been in the power for three terms consecutively, said that an initiative has been taken to identify the leaders and workers involved in various crimes using the party identity.
Awami League presidium member Abdur Razzak said that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, also the president of AL, has already directed law enforcing agencies to identify these criminals and arrest them.
“Those who are troublemakers and doing misdeeds are being identified and measures are being taken against them on regular basis. Changes are being made at various level of the party and its different wings and units,” said Abdur Razzak.
He also said, “Those who have helped such miscreants to get into the party and those who are helping miscreants are facing punishment. They being stripped off their posts and positions in the party and new leadership is replacing them.”
Several senior leaders of the ruling party said that misdeeds of some leaders of Juba League (the youth organization of AL) came to light through busting against ‘casino clubs’ in September last year. Some of them have been arrested and brought to justice. Many have been removed from party posts and later new leaderships of the organisation have been chosen through the councils.
Official sources in the AL said that there are more than 50,000 committees from the center to the grassroots in the AL while the number of posts is more than 25 lakhs. Of them, there are committees in 78 organisational districts, 622 upazilas, 5,643 unions and 43,596 wards. Besides, there are huge number of committees in the unit level. Moreover, there are committees in different countries in different level.
Like the AL, there are committees of almost all the wings and associate bodies of the AL in every sector. The number of leaders in these committees is several lakhs.
Seeking anonymity several leaders of the AL said that leaders and activists of these organisations use the identity of the ruling party. Many of them have been able to enter into the committees being the followers of the central leaders.
As there are conflicts between the president and the general secretary of different units, the central leaders often include those controversial people just for strengthening their sides.
They said many of such controversial activists have become leaders by bribing or other means and many of them are engaged in illegal activities damaging the image of the ruling party or the government.
AL Joint Secretary Mahbub ul Alam Hanif said there are strict instructions on not allowing those who had records of criminal activities. Sadly, despite such instructions many such corrupt activists and leaders have managed to get AL party membership. The top leaders have urged to monitor and check this so that no such ‘criminals’ can register as a member of the ruling party.