Awami League President Sheikh Hasina and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia yesterday chaired two crucial meetings of the parties to draw up the strategies ahead of the next general elections, while the two sides are poles apart on the form of government for overseeing the polls.
The opposition BNP’s standing committee met at Khaleda’s Gulshan office to devise how they want to intensify the movement to restore the caretaker government system, scrapped in 2011.
The party decided to bolster its anti-government movement with series of agitations, including hartal, to realise its demand, meeting sources say.
BNP wants to take the agitation to its peak in October when the parliament is supposed to be dissolved as indicated by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
However, some top leaders pointed out that the BNP grassroots now look forward to elections because they feel riding on the wave of recent popularity BNP is sure to bag majority seats even if the government does not restore caretaker system.
And they believe it would be extremely difficult for the government to rig elections in the face of enthusiasm at the grassroots, media alertness and the presence of observers.
Khaleda will meet its alliance leaders today to share its thoughts and reach a common ground for the movement.
On the other hand, AL’s recently revamped advisory council, the think-tank of the party, met yesterday evening at Gano Bhaban.
AL stalwarts like Tofail Ahmed, Amir Hossain Amu and Suranjit Sengupta, members of the council, were earlier ignored in many ways.
The meeting decided to reenergise its grassroots to face the propaganda by opposition and be active in the field to challenge any anti-government agitation.
It was decided that senior leaders would extensively tour districts to boost the moral of grassroots leaders who have lost heart following the AL debacle in all the five city corporation polls, meeting sources say.
The meeting also decided to publicise the successes of the government.
Hasina will meet the AL central working committee, the party’s highest decision making body, today to firm up its strategies.
The meetings gave the signal that the two parties have stiffened their stances and are not willing to compromise on the question of election time government.
AL’s meeting reflected the Friday’s comment of its General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam who said there is no scope for talks with BNP on any issue.
BNP’s acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, too, yesterday said it is unlikely that the ruling and opposition blocs will be able to reach an understanding over the next parliamentary elections.
Source: The Daily Star