In the wake of Sunday’s violence over Hefajat-e-Islam’s programme, the ruling Awami League and the main opposition BNP announced to hold rallies in the city on Monday, raising fresh tension.
At a press briefing at AL president’s Dhanmondi office, party presidium member Mohammed Nasim on Sunday night announced that the Awami League-led 14-party alliance will stage a rally at Bangabandhu avenue at 3pm on Monday in protest against the violence ‘by Hefajat men’.
He said the government allowed Hefajat to hold the rally at Shapla Chattar as every organisation has the right to do so. “But Hefajat has misused it.”
Meanwhile, BNP standing committee members at a meeting on Sunday night decided to stage a rally in front of the party’s Nayapaltan central office at 3pm protesting the attacks on Hefajat activists ‘by police and ruling party cadres’, BNP chairpersons’ press secretary Maruf Kamal Khan told UNB.
Meeting sources said a non-stop road-rail-waterway blockade programme is likely to be announced from the rally as the BNP-chairperson’s 48-hour ultimatum for accepting the caretaker government expires at 6pm on Monday.
The BNP policymakers also blamed the government for the widespread violence over Hefajat-e-Islam’s programme and urged people to be vocal against the anarchy ‘created by the regime’.
“The government is destabilising the country by instigating Hefajat’s peaceful programme,” BNP standing committee member MK Anwar told reporters at a press briefing after the standing committee meeting of the party held at the party chairperson’s Gulshan office.
The BNP standing committee also criticised the government for rejecting Khaleda’s 48-hour ultimatum, saying the way it was turned down was indecorous and indecent. “The government has exposed its colour by rejecting it,” Anwar said.
Addressing the Shapla Chattar rally of the BNP-led 18-party alliance on Saturday, Khaleda gave the government a 48-hour ultimatum to announce that the next general election will be held under a non-party administration or face tougher programmes. “If you (govt) don’t do this by the time, we’ll announce such a programme when you’ll either step down or flee the country.”
She described the Prime Minister’s offer for dialogue a drama to divert people’s attention from Rana Plaza tragedy and foil the programmes of the 18-party’s rally and Hefajat’s Dhaka siege programme and invited Sheikh Hasina for having a cup of tea in her residence to discuss the framework of the non-party caretaker government.
Source: UNBConnect
As we watched on TV some ‘miscreants’ were setting the bookshops on fire that burnt almost to ashes many sacred books including the Holy Qur’an. This was quite unbelievable that Hefazat activists will do that. Most people will have great difficulty to swallow it. It could be well-guessed from the attitude and strategy of the ruling party who were actually behind it. Hefazat leaders and activists were totally outwitted and now they may have to answer many questions. Their zeal and enthusiasm might be appreciable but they were mere children to understand the clandestine scheme of the power party. Actually they are no match for the AL and its leaders.