PAKISTAN OBSERVER
19th July 1957
MUJIB RETURNS TODAY
URJENT SUMMONS FROM CHIEF MINISTER
BY A STAFF CORRESPONDENT
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who returns today (Thursday) from his interrupted tour of the Far East will find himself and his party in a none-too-happy position.
He had left Dacca on June 14 after his group’s spectacular victory over Maulana Bhashani and the left-wingers in the Awami League Council session-to lead a 10-man Parliamentary delegation to China. Since then the victory has turned out to be more of a headache for them than a matter to gloat over. Chief Minister Mr. Ataur Rahman Khan had sent an urgent summons to him to cut short his tour which otherwise would have taken Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to Japan and the Philippines on his return journey to home. Sheikh Mujib will now be returning from Hong Kong where he had reached on June 15.
The Chief Minister’s urgent ‘come back message was sent, it is understood, in view of the daily widening dissensions within the Awami League.
SIGNIFICANT
Political circles here thought it significant because Mr. Mujibur Rahman is considered the only person in the organization who can to some extent cope with the fast-deteriorating unpopularity of the official Awami League and its leaders who are in power. Besides, who presence of Sheikh Mujib, who is also GeneralSecretary of the Awami League, is considered necessary in view of the coming Democratic Convention called by the Awami League President Maulana Bhashani and the ensuing Council session of the Ganatantri Dal-a component of the coalition in the Province. The Ganatantri Dal in its Council session-scheduled to begin at Barisal on July 21-will take decisions which are likely to jeopardize the position of the coalition government. Moreover, the Democratic Con-vention and the new political party which is likely to be formed at the convention is viewed by political circles here as portending a bleak future for the Awami League. Already the intra-party feuds and factions in the Awami League have heightened the crisis within the party to a great extent, the number of resignations of party workers from various districts including those of a Vice-President and an ex-Vice-President have reached well over 300. Some more resignations are expected with in the coming week-just before the Convention.
Whether or not Sheikh Mujibur Rahman succeeds in checking the rot that has set in his party, his return home is being eagerly awaited by his co-workers here. Before he meets the Chief Minister who is now in Chittagong, he will probably have a first report of the situation today from his colleagues and from the acting General Secretary. The Chief Minister is expected to return here on Sunday.