Dhaka: Mass popularity of the Awami League led 14-party alliance has plunged to the lowest ebb, which was proved again in Gazipur polls following the path of four city corporation election held on June 15 and the AL grassroots are feeling the pinch of popularity plunge.

The main opposition BNP-led 18-party alliance has been reviewing the polls outcome as the poignant proof of AL-led government’s failures in all fronts and its plunge in popularity. People have lost their faith in ruling AL and they do not want the government to continue any more as it has lost ground to rule folloing failures I each and front of governance. Even senior Awami League leaders are considering it as a red signal and trying to cover up saying still the party could turn around and rectify its mistakes by apologizing to the people. But still Syed Ashraf has not woken up from his deep sleep.

The AL general secretary is still missing in action from all party affairs and kept on sleeping in an undisclosed location.  In many press conferences where Ashraf should be briefing reporters, there either Mohammad Nasim or Mahbubul Alam Hanif is attending those instead of Syed Asharaf.

From the very beginning there were numerous allegation against Syed Ashraf about his non-serious nature and character about important party affairs, but party supremo Sheikh Hasina backed him to continue and nobody would dare to question about his often absence in party meetings and programmes.

Most leaders and  workers were quite unhappy with Syed Ashraf’s performance as general secretary of AL and even senior leaders will fail to communicate with Syed Ashraf who remained missing from most programmes be it party, ministry or parliamentary committee meetings. Even he would never receive any phone calls of journalists.

As general secretary when he was supposed to console and encourage party workers, he himself remains missing and remains incommunicado too. So all the party leaders and workers are raising their voice of criticisms against Syed Ashraf. Instead of standing beside party leaders and activists he himself remains a blue moon and the grassroots are questioning his role in the party why he is still there clinging to his post when he is not even interested to perform as general secretary, AL sources said.  

But a separate party source said, he is indisposed of and taking rest at home. Few days back he went to Bangkok for treatment and returned home after treatment and taking rest.

Another source said though he had played the role in making of new city corporation, but he was against election to those city corporation fearing debacle, but the AL high command did not listen to his objection and held election there resulting in such a humiliating defeat. So he is distancing himself from theose election results and that created a gap in between the AL high command and Syed Ashraf. So he is keeping a safe distance from party affairs.

But some other leaders are saying he could be sich now but what  he did for the city cosporation polls he did not even bother to talk with the party candidate in Gazipur for a single time when all the leaders were desperately trying to make him victorious.

Many central and district level leaders failed many times to meet Syed Ashraf for having discussuib of important party affairs for long and he would simply avoid ,meeting leaders on various pretext.

Such a leader told Prime News that meeting Syed Ashraf is even more difficult than the Prime Minister.  

Another senior leader said, in the history of 64 years of AL, it had never had such an absentee and inactive leader.

After the rout in four city corporation the Prime Minister herself asked Syed Ashraf to increase contacts and communications with grassroots leaders, but he did not pay heed to it and rather kept himself in an isolated position. No leaders or activists of Gazipur could meet Ashraf ahead or after Gazipur polls.

Senior AL leader Obaidul Quader commented in BBC intervier that Gazipur rout is a danger signal for the ruling AL and it would certainly have an impact in the general elections. He also said the ruling party after assuming power is failing to understand the language of people and it would spell disaster in future general election as grassroots AL leaders have no contact or communication with party high-ups.

District leaders of AL are saying that AL had got defeated to itself, not to others for its highhandedness and having detached to the people.  

Daily Prime.com talked with AL senior leader Tofail Ahmed regarding the general secretary issue. But he did not made any comment rather referred to Syed Ashraf for his comment. But this correspondent failed to communicate with him. Other senior leaders also did not make any direct comment of Syed Ashraf and his performance.

Another senior leader preferring anonymity said, “Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had made his general secretary for smooth functioning of the party noe she knows better what he has been doing all the time without spending any time for the party. So we don’t have any comment.”

(This story is translated, rewritten and edited by Md. Al-Amin)

Ends/MH/AMA/12/07/13