'Not listening' is burning the forehead of the minister-MP

In this situation, a list of ministers and party MPs who have nominated their relatives was prepared. Among them, the list of ministers and MPs whose relatives have become candidates in the first phase of the 150 upazila elections to be held on May 8 was finalized by the party's eight organizational secretaries.

Several top leaders told Samakal that the ministers and MPs on the list are scheduled to be discussed at a meeting of the party's highest policy-making forum, the Executive Council. The meeting has been called at 7 pm tomorrow, Tuesday, at Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's official residence, Ganabhaban. Some of the accused MPs, who are on the party's Executive Council, will also be present at the meeting. Among them are members of the party's presidium and some central leaders.

According to the Awami League's decision, relatives of ministers and party MPs are not allowed to participate in the upazila elections. However, relatives of some party MPs, including ministers, have become candidates in the elections. On the party's instructions, only Lutful Habib Rubel, brother-in-law of State Minister for Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak and candidate for Singra chairman in Natore, has withdrawn from the elections. However, he is accused of kidnapping his opponent Delwar Hossain Pasha.

Apart from this, two uncles of Mazharul Islam Sujon MP in Baliadangi of Thakurgaon, Mohammad Ali, Shafiqul Islam and nephew Ali Afsar Rana are contesting for the post of chairman; Anwarul Haque Sarker, cousin of Aftab Uddin Sarker MP in Dimla of Nilphamari and nephew Ferdous Parvez; Sakhawat Hossain Sajal, son of Shahadara Mannan MP in Sariakandi of Bogra; Minhaduzzaman Liton, brother of MP in Sonatala; Abdul Baten, brother of Deputy Speaker Shamsul Haque Tuku in Bera of Pabna; Ataur Rahman Ata, cousin of Mahbub-ul-Alam Hanif in Kushtia Sadar; Ali Munsur Babu, brother of Ali Azgar Tagor MP in Damurhuda of Chuadanga; SM, brother of SM Rezaul Karim MP in Nazirpur of Pirojpur Nur-e-Alam Siddiqui, Asibur Rahman Khan, son of party presidium member Shajahan Khan MP in Madaripur Sadar and cousin Pavelur Rahman Shafiq Khan, Dr. Anwarul Ashraf Khan Dilip MP's brother-in-law Shariful Haque in Palash in Narsingdi, Shoyeb Ahmed, nephew of Shahab Uddin MP, has become a candidate in Barlekha in Moulvibazar, Atahar Ishraq Sabab Chowdhury, son of former district general secretary Ekramul Karim Chowdhury MP in Subarnachar in Noakhali, Habib Ullah, son of Ashek Ullah Rafiq MP's cousin in Maheshkhali in Cox's Bazar.

Apart from this, Amirul Islam, nephew of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Tajul Islam, is participating in the election for the post of Vice Chairman in Manoharganj, Comilla; Mohabbat Ali, brother-in-law of the minister in Laksam; and Salam Mallick, brother of Major General (retd.) Abdul Hafiz Mallick MP in Bakerganj, Barishal.

However, some of these candidates will also be exempted from being relatives of ministers and party MPs. Mirza Azam, the central organizing secretary in charge of the party's Dhaka division's organizational activities, told Samakal that relatives of ministers and party MPs do not have the opportunity to participate in the upazila elections. And relatives are meant to include parents, husbands and wives, siblings, sons and sons' wives, daughters and daughters' husbands. The party's instructions will not be effective in the case of relatives in other relationships. And even if the chairman and vice-chairmen elected on the Awami League's nomination in the last election are relatives of ministers and party MPs, the organizational provisions regarding their participation in the elections will not apply. That is, they will be able to participate in the elections.

However, there has been mixed reactions within the party regarding the relatives of ministers and MPs who have remained in the elections despite ignoring the party's decision. Obaidul Quader has spoken to the concerned ministers and MPs regarding this. No one responded to it. In this regard, Obaidul Quader said that organizational measures will be taken regarding the concerned ministers and MPs in due course.

When asked about this, some members of the presidium and editorial board said that there is a rule for expulsion for not following the party's instructions. However, the party will not want to expel MPs from the party as they may lose their membership in parliament. However, organizational measures may be taken against them in various ways. In this case, there is strong discussion about reprimanding the party's MPs and ministers and taking away their party positions. Even despite having organizational qualifications, they may not get new party positions. At the same time, getting the party's nomination in the next national parliament election may be quite risky for them. And the accused minister may be dropped from the cabinet at any time. At the same time, the chances of those who have the potential to become ministers among the three-time winning MPs who have the potential to join the cabinet may decrease. However, the party's decision on these matters will not be officially announced right now.

Meanwhile, party presidium member and former Agriculture Minister Dr. Abdur Razzak told Samakal that the accused minister and party MP may be sued.