In a bid to strengthen the party ahead of the 2019 parliamentary election, the Awami League has decided to quell internal feuds by holding talks with grassroots leaders of four districts—Chuadanga, Jessore, Sathkhira and Nilphamari.Leaders from these district units, which are most fraught with factionalism, will be summoned to party president Sheikh Hasina’s political office at Dhanmondi.
“We will sit with leaders of the four districts within this month,” AL general secretary Obadul Quader told reporters yesterday.
“The central body will sit with leaders of Chuadanga on April 23, Jessore on April 24, Sathkhira on April 25 and Nilphamari on April 27,” he added.
The AL spokesperson said the ruling party wanted to see an inclusive parliamentary election in the country with the participation of all political parties. “We hope that the BNP will also participate in the polls,” he added.Quader, who is also the road transport and bridges minister, turned down the BNP’s demand for holding the next polls under an election time administration. “There is no basis for such an administration in the Constitution. The next election will be held as per the Constitution,” he said.
The AL general secretary said the Election Commission (EC) will conduct the next polls and the government will just perform routine work during that time. He also said the EC will decide  whether to deploy the Army during the national polls.
Quader hinted that an election commissioner was appointed from the BNP list. “The BNP has a representative in the commission, but there is none from the AL,” he said.
The ruling party leader also termed BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir’s recent visit to flood-affected area as a political game.
He also accused the BNP of trying to come up with excuses for failures. “They always give excuses when they face debacles in polls. They did not do so about Comilla City Corporation polls as they emerged victorious,” he added.
Quader said AL had won the Narayanganj polls as the party was united, but faced debacle in Comilla as party leaders there were not united.
He also said that an AL delegation, led by party joint secretary Mahbub-ul-Alam Hanif, will visit flood-affected Sunamganj and Netrakona today. The decision was taken at a party meeting yesterday. Senior AL leaders Hanif, Ahmad Hossain, Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, Abdus Sobhan Golap, and Afzal Hossain were among those who attended the meeting.