To step up pressure on the government to hold the general election under a non-party poll-time interim administration, the BNP-led 18-Party Alliance has planned a non-stop agitation, including road-rail-waterway blockade and hartal programme, from Tuesday, party insiders said. A leader close to BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia said an all-party poll resistance committee has already been formed across the country, including the party’s 74 organizing districts.
The committee will direct the district unit leaders and activists to put up stiff resistance on the streets across the country to foil the 10th parliamentary poll scheduled for January 5, the sources added.
Speaking to reporters, some opposition alliance leaders said the government is not sincere in reaching a consensus on holding the election under a non-party poll-time administration
“We will observe December 16 as our Victory Day with due respect and then enforce anti-government programmes like blockade, hartal and sit-in demonstration from December 17 to force the government to accept our demand,” said BNP leader Mahbubur Rahman. Rahman, also a BNP standing committee member, said though dialogue between the ruling Awami League and the opposition BNP is taking place, but no progress has been made yet.
“We have been saying that the ant-government stir and dialogue will continue simultaneously. We will postpone the movement immediately if there is a fruitful outcome of the dialogue,” Rahman, a former chief of army staff, said. Referring to the 151 uncontested seats in the JS polls, Rahman said the government’s move proves that it does not want an inclusive and acceptable poll. It wants to hang on to power at any cost, he said.
“There is no ray of hope in the dialogue process. The initiative has become futile, and now we have no other alternative but to start a harsher movement,” he said, warning that the movement might take a serious turn anytime.
Shamsuzzaman Dudu, adviser to party chairperson Khaleda Zia, told this correspondent that at least 151 MP aspirants of the grand alliance have already been elected uncontested in the general election scheduled for January 5.
“Under this circumstance, I don’t think the talks would bring any result for an inclusive national poll. We are determined that the BNP will not take part in the poll under the Sheikh Hasina administration,” he said.
Shafiul Alam Prodhan, chief of Jatiya Ganatantrik, BNP’s alliance partner, said the anti-government movement will continue until the opposition’s demand for election under a non-party poll-time management is met.
“The gestures and body language of the Awami League leaders, including premier Sheikh Hasina, indicate clearly that they are far from sincere about talks. No meaningful result will come out from the so-called dialogue,” he said, adding that only a tougher anti-government movement on the streets can end the present crisis.
-With The Independent input
