Dhaka Bureau: Awami League’s National Council of its affiliated organizations is ongoing ahead of the Central Conference. In continuation of this, the third national triennial conference of Awami Jubo Mahila League will be held at the historical Suhrawardy Udyan on Thursday at 11 am. Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will be the chief guest at its opening ceremony.
Although the conference is supposed to be held after three years, the council has only been held twice in two decades. However, there was no change in leadership. In other words, Nazma Akhtar and Apu Ukil have been leading the Jubo Mahila League since its birth in 2002.
The leaders and activists of the organization said that the activities of the organization have slowed down due to the lack of change in the leadership. Organizational discipline is also being disrupted due to dominance. So this time there is a change in leadership. Although it depends on the decision of Awami League President Sheikh Hasina. According to the constitution, councilors are supposed to elect new leadership at the conference. But like other allied organizations, the councils of the Yuba Mahila League will also delegate the power to elect the leadership to Sheikh Hasina.
Five leaders of the central Awami League said that a new leadership may come to the post of president-editor of the Jubo Mahila League, which will be held after five years. Those who quit student politics for a long time and joined Yuba Mahila League will be evaluated. And those who will come to the leadership through the conference will have to handle the election situation.
Awami Jubo Mahila League was established on July 6, 2002. A committee of 101 members of Jubo Mahila League was convened by Nazma Akhtar. Apu Ukil was the senior joint convener there. Najma Akhter became the president of the first conference on March 15, 2004. And Apu Ukil became the general secretary. After 13 years, the second conference was held on March 11, 2017. In that conference, Nazma Akhter was re-instated as president and professor Apu Ukil as general secretary.
Two leaders of Awami League said that the policy makers of the party want to change the top two positions of Jubo Mahila League. Because the high command of Awami League is unhappy because many leaders of various levels of the organization are involved in controversial activities. The image of Yuva Mahila League was in crisis especially in the much talked about Papia case. Many leaders of the organization were criticized in the Papia case. Not only that, the top leaders of the current committee could not come to discussions outside of some day-based activities. During the Corona period, their activities went virtually unnoticed. However, a class of leaders were ahead in lobbying the Secretariat.
Meanwhile, apart from the current two, Zakia Parveen Khanum, Aleya Sarwar Daisy, Kohli Quddus Mukti, Adiba Anjum Mita, Sharmin Sultana Lily, Jedda Parveen Rimi, Sharmin Akhter Nipa, Shahnaz Parveen Dolly, Navana Akhtar and others are in discussion for the post of president and general secretary. Although many of them are accused of being inactive in organizational activities. In this case, the former leaders of Chhatra League are ahead in getting the new leadership of Jubo Mahila League. In that case, new faces can come in the organization.
The central leaders of Awami League said that there have been allegations of irregularities against Jubo Mahila League for a long time. But no proper evidence was found till the arrest of Shamima Noor Papia, the newly expelled General Secretary of Narsingdi District Jubo Mahila League. Two members of the editorial board of Jubo Mahila League said, “When Najma Apa and Apudi took charge, they were much younger than us. Then the leader (Sheikh Hasina) gave them responsibility. Many of us have the ability to manage organizations well, but why do we keep giving them up? They are the leaders for 20 years, so how do others organize? To make the organization dynamic, change in leadership should be brought.
At the time of formation of Jubo Mahila League, President Nazma Akhter took charge at the age of 35, Apu Ukil was 31 years old. Accordingly, currently Najma is 55 years old and Apu is 51 years old. Apart from this, most of the vice-presidents and joint general secretaries of the organization are above fifty. At least one-fifth of the leaders of the 121-member committee are of this age. Besides, at least 17 members of the committee are now out of politics. They are not seen in any party event. After leaving the Chhatra League, the women who came to form the Yuva Mahila League are stuck in the leadership tangle. Even with age, their leadership is not changing.
