DHAKA: Awami League (AL) president and the leader of the opposition in parliament Sheikh Hasina does not want to launch any serious agitation against the government before reorganizing the party. The AL chief is yet to reconcile to her present role as the leader of the opposition in the parliament. Her party refused to attend the parliament sessions so far on the plea that “there is no congenial atmosphere for them to attend the parliament.” The second session of the eighth parliament began here last week.

While many of the party’s central leaders agree with Sheikh Hasina’s strategy, saying that no effective political “movement” could be developed prior to the reorganization of the party, the rank and file appear to hold different views.

Sheikh Hasina recently accused the chief election commissioner M. A. Syed of being partisan, demanded his immediate resignation and said that her party would not take part in any election so long as he remains in his position. The post of the CEC is constitutional and the government cannot sack him and unless he resigns from his post, he cannot be removed.

CEC Syed was appointed by Sheikh Hasina’s government in late 2000 without consulting the mainstream opposition party BNP as normally done to reach a consensus. BNP at the time opposed Syed’s appointment and demanded his resignation.

After losing the election, Sheikh Hasina became critical of the CEC and accused him of working against her party. The strong statement by the mainstream opposition party chief should normally have followed by a movement, demanding CEC’s resignation. But no action plan has yet been announced by the party on this issue, reflecting the party’s indecisiveness.

The party central committee members are not keen to hold a convention of the party’s central committee soon for fear of losing their control over the party hierarchy. Sheikh Hasina is aware of this and is now trying to outmanoeuvre them by using her own presidential authority in bringing younger members into the committee. The old guards did not like it but they are waiting for an opportune moment to hit back. They seem to have compromised their own position for being over dependent on Sheikh Hasina for providing the political leadership.

Majority of the AL MPs favour attending the parliament, but they could not do so because Sheikh Hasina does not want it. Senior party leaders, including Sheikh Hasina, would undertake organizational tour of the country to revamp the party apparatus.