AL infighting continues, keeps claiming lives
Partha Pratim Bhattacharjee and Jamil Mahmud At least 20 people were injured in a fight between two groups of Awami League activists in the presence of industries minister and other senior leaders at the party's Patuakhali district council on November 14.
Two pro-AL organisations -- Chhatra League and Jubo League -- clashed at Siddhirganj Power Plant in Narayanganj on Tuesday over tender business. It left scores injured.
The same day at Dinajpur Medical College, a factional feud of Chhatra League over the formation of the college unit committee left at least 20 wounded.
In another factional feud of the student body, an activist was killed at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology on Thursday. And in the evening, an AL activist was killed and 15 others were injured in a clash between followers of former and incumbent AL lawmakers at Nandail of Mymensingh.
These clashes are no stray incidents.
From January 2009 to October 2014, as many as 167 people died in 1,080 AL infightings. This year, from January to October, 27 died in 114 such clashes, according to rights body Ain o Salish Kendra.
In 2009 alone, 20 AL men died in 164 infightings, while 167 clashes in 2011 left the same number of people dead. It was 40 deaths in 237 fights between party factions in 2010.
On May 20 this year, AL leader and Phulgazi upazila chairman Ekramul Haque was killed in broad daylight in Feni and it was reportedly the worst example of party infighting during the present tenure of AL government.
Whenever any factional feud takes place, AL leaders blame “infiltrators”. In reality, no such “infiltrator” has ever been identified. Many senior leaders on several occasions said that the party would start intra-party drive against infighting. No such step has been taken either.
According to party sources, no AL forum discussed the issue after the January 5 polls.
Factions often get locked in clashes over establishing supremacy in respective areas and controlling extortion and tender business. The lack of a chain of command, row between former and incumbent party lawmakers and among party leaders, the absence of organisational activities and widening gap between party central and grassroots make the infighting unavoidable.
Contacted, AL Presidium Member Nuh-ul-Alam Lenin too said the race for money and party posts is the reason behind most infightings.
“Such incidents are tarnishing the government's image and thus the government always tries to stop those,” said Lenin. “But in reality, it is not possible to control everything.”
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, also AL president, in her budget speech on July 3, termed the party infighting as “unfortunate” but didn't specify the next course of action in this regard.
Published: 12:00 am Saturday, November 22, 2014
Last modified: 12:33 am Saturday, November 22, 2014
