Female entrepreneur Helena Jahangir has lost membership of the Awami League’s subcommittee on women’s affairs for her “involvement with” the “Bangladesh Awami Chakrijibi League”, a group with no official connection with the ruling party.
A press release signed by MP Meher Afroz Chumki, the ruling party’s women affairs secretary, was issued in this regard.
Helena was removed from the position as her recent activities spread through social media breached organization policies, read the release.
Helena’s name recently surfaced on social media as the president of the Bangladesh Awami Chakrijibi League.
She had urged all to become a member of the claimed ruling party-affiliated organization.
Members of the newly-formed wing said it had been seeking an official affiliation with Awami League for two to three years.
However, ruling party leaders have denied any connection with the organization.
Helena also is a director of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industries and chairperson of Joyjatra TV.
No scope to engage suddenly sprouted up organizations with the AL
Meanwhile, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said there is no scope to engage suddenly sprouted up organizations with the AL as the party has recognized associate bodies and sub-committees as per its constitution.
“As per the constitutional provision of Awami League, it has associate bodies and sub-committees. Apart from recognized bodies, there is no scope for any organization to get engaged with the party by adding words like ‘League’ or ‘Awami’ with its name,” he said.
Quader, also Road Transport and Bridges Minister, said this at a press conference at his official residence here.
He said when a party stays in power, different groups of opportunists and ‘cuckoos of spring’ make such evil attempts to engage with the party and different parasites also get engaged.
As per the party president’s announcement, if anyone inside the party is found directly or indirectly involved with such acts, immediate organizational actions will be taken against him or her, he said.
The AL general secretary said administrative steps will also be taken against those who will make evil attempts to serve interests of individuals by using party identity or using the name of the party.
If any controversial person entered the party or if questions arise over activities of anyone, written complaint can be lodged to election tribunal at the party president’s political office as per the party constitution, he said.
Turning to development works of the government, the minister said, “Padma Bridge is the symbol of our capability”.
Mentioning that Padma Bridge is the golden crop of boundless courage of Bangabandhu’s daughter Prime Minister Sheikh, he said different conspiracies were hatched against the government since the initiative of Padma Bridge construction was taken.
Defeating all visible and invisible conspiracies, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina started the construction work of Padma Bridge with domestic funds, he said.
Quader said an anti-country and anti-development evil force has been spreading various rumors and propaganda since the beginning of the Padma Bridge constriction works.
Overcoming different man-made obstacles and conspiracies and facing natural disasters, the much-anticipated Padma Multipurpose Bridge is now visible on the mighty river Padma under the leadership of the premier, he said.
The construction work progress of main structure of Padma Bridge stood at 94 percent till July 24 last while the overall progress of the bridge project is now 87 percent.
About the hitting a Padma Bridge pillar by a ferry while plying on the river, the minister said the weight of the ferry which hit the pillar was 1284 tonnes but as per the design of Padma Bridge, every pillar has the capacity to withstand the hit of vessel weighting 4,000 tonnes having 30 nautical miles speed.
Just after the incident, Bangladesh Bridge Authority engineers, members of technical committee, construction company representatives and consultants visited the spot, he said.
Two persons including master (driver) of the ferry have already been arrested, he said, adding that though the hitting by ferry didn’t cause any damage to the pilar, the incident is being looked into whether it is only an accident or it is carried out as part of a purpose-oriented conspiracy.
The minister said conspiracies were hatched earlier centering the bridge and it cannot be surely said now that there is no conspiracy over the bridge.
