Joy ‘not interested’ in Awami League central leadership role, now: Quader

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s grandson Sajeeb Wazed Joy is “not interested” in joining the central leadership of the Awami League now, the party’s General Secretary Obaidul Quader has said.

He now advises his mother Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on ICT affairs.

“Joy’s wish also matters here. Whenever we ask the leader (Hasina) about it, she says he doesn’t want to (come to the fore) now. He is not interested yet,” Quader told reporters at a press conference at the party chief’s Dhanmondi offices in Dhaka on Friday.

In 2015, Joy became a member of the Awami League’s Pirganj Upazila unit in Rangpur, from where his father the late M Wazed Miah hailed.

He joined the party’s national council as a councillor from Rangpur the following year.

Ahead of the next council scheduled for Dec 20-21, the party’s Pirganj unit announced a committee with Joy as an executive member.

The reporters asked Quader whether Joy would assume a central leadership role in the 21st council of the party.

“That’s a decision for our party President Sheikh Hasina to take. Joy is always there. But I repeatedly told the leader (Hasina) to groom Joy. Joy’s wish also matters here. For now, he wants to remain in the position he holds,” the Awami League general secretary said.

Grassroots leaders had demanded during the last council that Joy be put in a leadership role in the party, but he did not agree, Quader said.

Before the last council, Quader had said along with Bangabandhu and Hasina, the council’s focus would be on Joy as “our future leader”.