The ruling Awami League high command is learned to be annoyed with a number of socio-cultural organisations and platforms, associating themselves with the name of Bangabandhu or pretending to be an affiliated body of the ruling Awami League. Founders of most of these organisations are said to be opportunists whose main target is to extract personal benefits from different quarters through using their self-proclaimed affiliation with the ruling party. Party insiders said that some of their central leaders are responsible for patronising such organisations, especially in the capital city.
They said that such organisations or platforms are being formed by opportunists in a bid to attain financial solvency by holding discussions or human chain programmers over different issues, including Victory Day, Jail Killing Day and Homecoming Day of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
According to Article 25 of the Bangladesh Awami League Constitution, the party has nine associate organisations, including Bangladesh Mahila Awami League, Bangladesh Krishok League, Jatiya Sramik League, Bangladesh Awami Jubo League, Awami Swechhashebok League, Bangladesh Chhatra League, Awami Ainjibee Parishad, Bangladesh Tanti League and Swadhinata Chikitshak Parishad.
But, there are many socio-cultural organisations or platforms named after Bangabandhu or members of Bangabandhu’s family or with a name pretending to be an affiliate body of AL. Some of these organisations are Awami Matsyajibi League, Hawkers League, Muktijoddha Janata League, Bangabandhu Sainik League, Motor Chalok League, Awami Olama League, Jatiya Bidyut Sramik League, Bangladesh Awami Shishu League, Projanma League, Bangabandhu Parishad, Sammilito Sangskritik Jote, Joi Bangla Sangskritik Oikya Jote, Bangabandhu Lekhok Samity, Bangabandhu Adarsha Mulyayan O Gabeshana Parishad, Sheikh Russell Jatiya Shishu-Kishore Parishad and Amra Muktijoddhar Santan and Nouka Samarthok Gusthi. When our

Correspondent investigated Bangladesh Awami Shishu League, he found that Demra Thana Chhatra League General Secretary Mohammad Faisal Ahmad Munshi had founded the platform in a bid to inculcate the ideology of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in children.
Talking to The Independent about the aims and objectives of his organisation, Faisal Ahmad said, “Children today are the future of the country. Our parents don’t dream that their child will be a leader like Bangabandhu.” He hoped that the future Bangabandhu will be from his organisation, Shishu League, and will shoulder the responsibility of the nation.
Bangabandhu Sangskritik Jote is another organisation whose President is incumbent State Minister for Telecom Tarana Halim and General Secretary Arun Rana Sarkar is a Class IV employee of Shilpakala Academy. On January 25, Tarana Halim’s Assistant Personal Secretary Joydeb Nandi filed a case against Arun Rana Sarkar for collecting money using the name of the organisation.
According to the case statement, Tarana in her complaint alleged that Rana has been engaged in collecting money from different organisations and persons on the pretext of organising different event, including Victory Day, Jail Killing Day and Homecoming Day of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Talking to this Correspondent, Arun Rana Sarkar said Bangabandhu Sangskritik Jote was founded in 1978 and many veteran cultural activists were associated with the organisation. “I am also an old member of Jote and I personally organised many programmes under the banner of the organisation…Tarana Halim has become a minister for the organisation and I have contributed to make her a minister. But now, she is hatching a conspiracy against me and the organisation,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Olama League has all along been claiming to be an affiliated body of the Awami League, and issuing media statements and holding programmes using that identity. Leaders and workers of the organisation are joined by AL leaders and activists for different movements and senior AL leaders often participate in its programmes. Leaders of the Olama League received invitations from the Gono Bhaban and they have a designated office space at AL headquarters on Bangabandhu Avenue. So, it is really hard to buy AL leaders' claim that the Olama League has no links with the party. At present, the organisation is split into two feuding factions, one led by Ismail Hossain bin Helali and the other by Abdul Hasan Sheikh Shariatpuri.
On Monday, a faction of the Olama League held a press conference at the National Press Club where organisation leaders claimed that some hybrid leaders of the ruling Awami League are conspiring to drop their platform from AL, but they (AL leaders) will never succeed in this, as the organisation is united across the country under the direction and leadership of PM Sheikh Hasina.
When contacted, AL Presidium Member Nuh-ul-Alam Lenin said, “We are embarrassed to see that such organisations have mushroomed after our party came to power. We discourage these types of activities. We cannot take action against such organizations, as there is no specific law in this regard,” he said and added, “Yes, some of our central leaders participate in their programmes but there are many AL leaders who avoid invitations from such organisations,” he said.
AL Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif said that these organisations are not the associated bodies of Awami League. Most of them were formed just to collect money on the pretext of organising different events.
The AL Organising Secretary said that these organisations have no basis but it is natural to have such organisations when a political party comes to power. “But our stance is clear: those who collect money in the name of our party will have to face legal action,” he added.