Awami League presidium member Tofail puts forward his reform proposal

Another presidium member of Awami League (AL), this time in Tofail Ahmed, has made public his reform proposals.
Addressing a press conference at his Banani residence, Tofail once a firebrand student leader, said currently the political parties are at a crossroads and there is no alternative but to carry out reforms.
Like his presidium colleague, Tofail's proposals include the one that says no one would be allowed to hold the posts of president and general secretary for more than two terms in a row.
He however stressed that his proposals do not intend to have the party minus any particular individual. He added that his will be placed before the central working committee meeting as per the AL constitution.
At the news briefing, the AL leader came down heavily on different moves by the party chief. Without mentioning Hasina's name, he said that the AL has been rendered controversial through sales of nominations to those who had never been involved with it.
He also said leaders and workers of the party have been made stand against the military-backed caretaker government through provocative speeches.
TOFAIL’s PROPOSALSTofail said his reform proposals aim to make sure that democracy is practised at all levels of the party, and establish collective leadership to promote transparency and accountability in decision-making.
A proposal is that the party funds should be deposited in a bank under supervision of the party treasurer, who will report quarterly at party meetings.
They also suggest a set of amendments to the AL constitution not to allow anyone to hold the posts of president or general secretary twice in a row. The same rule shall apply to those at district and upazila levels.
Anyone down to the secretary level cannot simultaneously hold posts in the party and government.
All committees will be elected through secret ballots. Anyone accused of having a role against the Liberation War or war crime will be considered ineligible for membership of the party. Likewise, criminals or black money owners will not be eligible to contest elections on the AL ticket.
A member convicted of criminal offence by the highest court will be disqualified from holding any post in the party and getting nomination for any election.
In the proposals, he also calls for national recognition of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as the father of the nation, execution of those condemned to death for the gruesome killings on August 15, 1975, and punishment to those responsible for killing four national leaders on November 3, 1975.
He also suggests abolition of communal politics and establishment of a secular, democratic Bangladesh.
Some other proposals that he has come up with relate to economic, administrative and judicial overhaul, electoral reforms proposed by the Election Commission, and functioning of the Anti-Corruption Commission. Besides, Tofail proposed amendments to the national constitution to define the balance of power between the president and the prime minister.