After an interval of 12 years, the second triennial council session of the Bangladesh Juba Mahila League, an associate body of the ruling Awami League (AL), is going to be held today. The aim of the council session is to strengthen the organisation ahead of the next parliamentary elections. Though the triennial council session of the Juba Mahila League is going to be held after a long time, the associate body is likely to retain its old leadership as its president and secretary respectively.
Party sources disclosed that the body’s incumbent president, Nazma Akhter, and general secretary, Apu Ukil, are likely to retain their respective posts this time once again. Meanwhile, the first and last triennial central council session of the Juba Mahila League, was held 12 years ago in 2004.
Insiders said the duo would be given the posts of president and general secretary of the organisation again as there were no leaders more qualified than the duo in the Juba Mahila League.
They also said that Sabina Akhter Tuhin, MP, general secretary of Dhaka north unit Juba Mahila League, and former BCL leader Kuheli Kuddus Mukti, also the joint secretary of Juba Mahila League, are also in the race for the post of president and general secretary of the new committee to be formed by the Juba Mahila League.  
AL chief and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had wanted to make incumbent president Nazma Akhter the leader of Mahila
Awami League, but Akhter requested the PM to retain her as president of the Juba Mahila League in the new committee, insiders said.
Akhter yesterday said, “I want to work for the party as per the will of our leader and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.” “If I get the post again, I will work for the organisation devotedly, in a bid to make the organisation stronger and more dynamic,” she told The Independent.
Regarding the preparations for holding the second triennial council session of the body, the incumbent president, Nazma Akhter, said they have already made elaborate preparations to hold the session successfully. When contacted Kuheli Kuddus Mukti, said, “We will accept the decision whatever our party chief Sheikh Hasian would take in this regard.”
However, the second council session of the associate body will be held on Saturday at 10am at the Krishibid Institute auditorium in the capital. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to attend the programme on that day. As the party chief, she would announce the names of the new leaders for the new committee of the Juba Mahila League. Earlier, the women's front of the ruling Awami League, Mahila Awami League, had got new leaders through its second council session, which was held after 14 years last Saturday.
Safia Khatun and Mahmuda Begum Creek were made the president and general secretary of the organisation respectively.
Meanwhile, the condition of the other associate bodies of the ruling party is the same. Triennial council sessions for most of the associate bodies have not been held for years, which has caused frustration among their leaders and workers.
AL sources said the triennial council session of Bangladesh Tanti League will be held on March 19, while another associate body, Awami Ainjibi Parishad, will hold its council session on April 29 this year.