Bangladesh Awami League general secretary Sayed Ashraful Islam addresses a rally of the party at the south gate of Baitul Mukarram national mosque in the capital. — New Age photo
Senior Awami League leaders on Tuesday urged BNP and its chairperson Khaleda Zia to wait three more years for the next general elections and said the polls will be held under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina in accordance with the constitution.
Addressing two separate rallies at city’s Bangabandhu Avenue and Russel Square, they defended the January 5, 2014 elections and said martial law would have returned in the country if the elections were not held.
AL general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam, presiding over the rally at Bangabandhu Avenue, said that Khaleda killed 64 people, injured 1,500 and destroyed 700 vehicles in the name of protecting democracy.
He called on BNP to practice ‘peaceful’ politics in the country and said the next general elections would be held in a free and fair manner. ‘It will not be necessary to anyone in that election. We believe in democracy,’ he added.
Syed Ashraf, however, did not mention when the next general elections will be held in his speech.
The AL leaders also said BNP, along with Jamaat, made an all-out effort to invite an undemocratic government to save the war criminals by foiling the January 5 general elections.
The Awami League organised the rallies to celebrate January 5 as ‘victory day for democracy’ claiming
that the January 5 elections helped protect the country’s democracy and uphold the continuity of the constitutional process.
The party’s local unit at different district and metropolitan cities also organised rallies marking the day.
The BNP, however, observes the day as ‘democracy killing day’ alleging that the country’s democratic process was destroyed by the January 5 elections, in which 153 lawmakers were elected unopposed amidst boycott by all opposition parties.
Commerce minister Tofail Ahmed said Khaleda should observe January 5 repentance day as she failed to bring army to power through foiling the elections.
Tofail, also presidium member of Awami League, said that BNP joined the municipal polls under the Sheikh Hasina’s government, but they boycotted the national polls. He also said BNP will be defeated in the 2019 general election like it suffered in the municipal polls.
Suranjit Sengupta urged the BNP to come to the path of democracy through participating in the next general elections and cut off all political ties with Jamaat and destructive politics.
Sheikh Fazlul Huq Selim asked Khaleda why BNP had joined the municipal polls if Hasina’s government was illegal. He said there was no alternative to Awami League and Hasina for development of the country.
Health minister Mohammad Nasim said the next polls will be held in 2019 under Hasina’s leadership and BNP will be compelled to join the polls.
Leaders and activists of Awami League and its associate bodies from different parts of Dhaka and its outlying areas, carrying with them banners and placards, started gathering at the rally venue from 12:30pm onboard vehicles or through processions.
Awami League advisory council member Amir Hossain Amu, addressing the rally as chief guest, said there was a conspiracy by BNP and Jamaat to foil January 5 polls so that they could invite an unconstitutional government to save the war criminals.
Awami League presidium member Matia Chowdhury said that no one would say anything to BNP if the party followed the democratic path and joined the coming union parishad elections and next general elections to be held in 2019.
Awami League joint general secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif urged the BNP leaders to reorganise the party without Khaleda Zia saying Khaleda had lost the right to do politics in Bangladesh after making derogatory remark regarding the number of liberation war martyred.
New Age correspondent from Chittagong reported that local AL leaders addressing a rally at Chittagong Central Shaheed Minar premises said Khaleda should be driven out of the country for her derogatory remarks over the Liberation War martyrs.
Source:New Age