The ruling Awami League Tuesday claimed that the people of the country rejected the 48-hour countrywide blockade programme enforced by the BNP-led 18-party alliance protesting the announcement of the schedule for the 10th parliamentary elections. “The countrymen have welcomed the polls schedule, and this has been proved by the normal movement of people across the country,” the AL joint general secretary Mahbub-ul-Alam Hanif made the comment while talking to reporters at the Bangabandhu Avenue in the city.
However, the leaders and workers of the Dhaka City Awami League and its different front organizations brought out processions in protest against the opposition’s blockade programme in the city’s different areas. They also chanted slogans ‘Nouka-Nouka’ welcoming the polls schedule declared Monday night.
Replying to a query, Hanif said, “We have been trying to bring BNP in the next general elections and I hope the opposition will join the polls at last.”
He alleged that BNP was misguiding the people over joining the polls despite it had assured Awami League of taking part in the polls. He also reiterated that the elections would be held on time as per the constitutional provisions. “People of the country do not want to see violence, they want peace, so the opposition should join the elections shunning the path of violence,” he added.
In a separate programme, AL presidium member Mohammad Nasim once again said that the schedule had already been announced to hold the notational polls in due time. BNP and its key ally Jamaat-e-Islami could not able to resist the polls. He was addressing a press conference at the party chief Sheikh Hasina’s Dhanmondi political office.
AL leader accused the opposition of hatching conspiracies to divert country’s people from the elections unleashing a reign of terror.
He urged the members of the law enforcement agencies to remain more alert and asked the party leaders and workers to take to the streets to resist BNP-Jamaat’s move to destabilize the country.
Meanwhile, in another programme in the city, Forest and Environment Minister Hasan Mahmud called upon the opposition to participate in the next polls shunning the politics of subversive activities in order to test its popularity.
-With The Independent input
