Some former BCL leaders, aspirants for assistant secretary post in the Awami League sub-committees, yesterday staged a demonstration and briefly obstructed party General Secretary Obaidul Quader hours after he claimed that he was not confined by the aspirants the day before. The incident took place in front of the AL president’s political office in Dhanmondi at about 7:30pm. Quader had faced a similar situation also on Saturday night. However, the AL spokesperson at a briefing at his secretariat office yesterday claimed that it was a misunderstanding and the demonstration was in fact a joyous procession. Witnesses said Quader reached the Dhanmondi office at about 7:30pm. Deprived aspirants, mainly former Chhatra League central leaders, had been waiting there for long. As the AL general secretary approached the Dhanmondi office, they started chanting slogans. At one stage, central leaders, who were inside the Dhanmondi office, came out and locked in a heated debate with the aspirants. The central leaders later took the AL general secretary inside the office.

The aggrieved leaders alleged that instead of honouring the dedicated leaders, BNP-Jamaat men have been inducted in the sub-committees. As they continued to stage a demonstration, Quader called some aggrieved leaders to the office and told them that the committees are yet to be finalised.

“We will form the committees with the competent and dedicated candidates,” he told them, said sources. He also assured the aggrieved BCL leaders that there will be no room for BNP-Jamaat faces in the fresh committee.

Regarding a draft list, the AL leader said, “There has been no signature of the party president and general secretary in the draft. So, why are you staging the demonstration? We will declare the committees within three months.”