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Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader has been involved in a commotion at a discussion with former Chhatra League leaders after he did not give them a chance to speak.
They said that former Chhatra League leaders had always come forward when the party was facing difficulties, but that Quader calling them to exchange views but only making a statement himself was showing wilfulness.
The discussion meeting on the current political situation was set to begin at the Awami League’s central office at Bangabandhu Avenue at 11:00 am on Wednesday. Quader joined the meeting after 11:00 am and started speaking to the journalists, bdnews24.com reports.
Though the meetings involving various Awami League organisations do not always allow different representatives to speak, the party’s general secretary spoke alone.
This led to a commotion by former Chhatra League leaders.
At one point they asked – why are you the only one speaking? We have a lot to say too.
Slogans of ‘Fake! Fake!’ were chanted. At one point, the senior leader of the party left the event without completing the press conference.
At first, the former Chhatra League leaders also expressed their anger at the journalists in attendance. Later, the journalists boycotted the conference.
During the conference, several former student leaders left and expressed their anger as they did so.
A former general secretary of the central Chhatra League said: “They called us for an exchange of views. So you should first listen to us, let us talk. But instead of that, he called us for a discussion and began talking to the media. This is not right.”
There was an initial commotion when Awami League Presidium member Abdur Razzaque came to the event. The student leaders asked why he was attending, complaining that his son was writing anti-government posts on social media.
Soon after leaving the meeting, Quader left the central office.
“What is this, brother?” said former Chhatra League Vice President Aminul Islam Bulbul. “We have things we want to say. We did not come to watch his press conference. We came because we want to talk about the situation in Dhaka and overall.”
Bulbul expressed his anger.
“Chhatra League leaders are always working on the ground. Student leaders take risks. Their [Awami League leaders] children study abroad. Their children are not in the Chhatra League. Abdur Razzaque Sir’s son posts statuses on Facebook that Chhatra League are like locusts. We don’t accept him as a leader. Their children should stay in the country and be part of the Chhatra League. How is it right that we should continue to work while they make homes, buy cars, and send their children abroad for studies? It is because of this that our party’s situation is worsening over time.”