The prime minister’s ICT Adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy has denied any link with an organisation named after him, saying that he doesn’t like his name being used unnecessarily.
“I have noted news of someone launching a ‘Sajeeb Wazed Joy League’. This league is completely unauthorised and has absolutely nothing to do with me or the Awami League,” Joy wrote on his Facebook page on Monday night.
Joy’s reaction came a day after a news portal ran a report on a new organisation named ‘Bangladesh Awami Sajeeb Wazed Joy League’ that is set to be launched soon.
The PM’s ICT adviser also wrote: “My family and I do not like our family name being used unnecessarily.”
“This only hurts our party and our family’s image, especially the image of my grandfather, the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu (Sheikh Mujibur Rahman),” he said.
Joy, also the son of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, is currently in Washington.
Founder and president of ‘Bangladesh Awami Sajeeb Wazed Joy League’ Hasu Sardar said it was his ‘childhood dream’ to form this party.
But Awami League leaders have dubbed his initiative as just another  ‘illegal enterprise’ that will be used for ‘extortion and fraudulent activities’. If launched officially, ‘Joy League’ will join a long list of dozens of organisations operating with ‘Awami League’, ‘Bangabandhu’, ‘Jatir Pita’ and ‘Bangamata’ in their names.
All claim affiliations to the Awami League.
According to the party constitution, the Awami League’s affiliated organisations are Jubo League, Krishak League, Swechchhasebak League, Awami Ainjibi Parishad, Jubo Mahila League, Mahila Awami League and Tanti League. Chhatra League and Sramik League are two other acknowledged affiliate organisations of the ruling party.
An organisation called ‘Bangladesh Awami Sishu (children) League’ also surfaced last year.