July 06, 2007	Friday	Jamadi-us-Sani 20, 1428

DHAKA, July 5: The detained general secretary of Awami League, Abdul Jalil, has accused the party president, Sheikh Hasina, of running the party affairs unilaterally and decided to quit politics, if necessary.

Jalil’s harsh criticism against his party chief was mentioned in a ‘confidential’ letter, reportedly sent to both President Iajuddin Ahmed and chief adviser of the interim government Fakhruddin Ahmed, seeking their help for his release from jail.

The AL general secretary's wife Rehana Jalil read out the letter at a press conference at her Gulshan residence on Thursday, requesting the government for immediate release of her ailing husband.

Widely known as one of the most trusted men of Hasina in the AL, Jalil was picked up from his Mercantile Bank office in Motijheel on May 28, and put behind bars under the Special Powers Act.

The senior AL leader was questioned in the joint forces’ custody for several days after being picked up. No specific charges have been brought against him as yet.

The detained AL leader on July 2 urged the government to release him immediately and offered cooperation to the military-backed interim administration in peaceful holding of the next parliamentary election and ridding politics of corrupt elements and black money holders.

In the letter, the AL leader claimed that he had nothing to do in the party since the party chief made every decision unilaterally.

‘The democratic character of the party has been destroyed as the party is run by the unilateral decision of Sheikh Hasina,’ Jalil claimed in the letter sent to the President and released to the media by his wife at his Gulshan residence on Thursday morning.

The AL general secretary made similar appeal to the chief adviser to the interim government saying that absence of democratic practices in the parties was largely responsible for the present situation.

He also said that a clique of sycophantic leaders encouraged the party president to wield unilateral power and so there was no scope for opposing her decisions.

‘I have decided to retire from politics if necessary because of my physical condition and for the sake of my family’, said Jalil urging the president and the chief adviser to release him on humanitarian grounds.

Citing some ‘unilateral decisions’ made by Hasina even under a state of emergency, Jalil accused the party chief of making anti-government statements and demanding early elections which, he said, landed many an AL leader in troubles.

‘We supported the interim government following the January 11changeover and attended its oath-taking but disregarding our decision Sheikh Hasina suddenly demanded elections unwilling to give the government time,’ said Jalil.

He said that after declaring in advance that all actions of the interim government would be ratified [if the AL came to power], the party president made anti-government statements abroad which harmed the country as well as the party.

‘By such activities she (Hasina) has harmed herself, the party and the country as well,’ he said in the appeal.

Jalil also said that he was elected general secretary of the party in its council session but had to act as per the wishes and directives of the party president as there was no opportunity to oppose her decision.

‘I tried to make her understand time and again but failed. I have worked following her orders and sometimes against my conscience just for the sake of the party's unity,’ Jalil claimed.

He said questions might arise as to why he did not resign under such circumstances admitting that the reason may have been the lust for the post of the general secretary of the party.

‘It was my failure that I could not suppress the lust (for power). I am sorry and ashamed of that,’ the AL general secretary said in the appeal.

Stressing the need for democratic practices in the party, he said that if the Awami League was not freed from ‘absolute power’ of Hasina, the consequences would be serious to the party and the country as well.

‘A change should come soon to make the party free from the unilateral leadership, otherwise the party have to suffer a lot in future,’ said Jalil.