The ruling Awami League (AL) would go for a massive election campaign from Sunday, in a bid to increase voter participation in the upcoming 10th parliamentary election slated for January 5. “To increase people’s participation in the coming election, we’ll form several election teams, comprising the party’s senior leaders, who will visit different constituencies across the country within a day or two,” said AL Election Conducting Committee’s (ALECC) co-chairman HT Imam. He was addressing a press conference at party chief Sheikh Hasina’s Dhanmondi office in the city on Friday. Imam, also an adviser to the Prime Minister, alleged that the BNP-Jamaat alliance has waged a war against the people. As a political party, the BNP has the right to boycott the next election, but it does not have any right to foil the pollS, he said. About the ruling party’s
preparation for the next general election, Imam said, “We’ve already formed some sub-committees with young leaders who will help the ALECC to conduct the election campaign.” The party thinks that its senior leaders’ visit to different districts would also encourage grassroots-level leaders and workers to forge resistance against violent activities carried out by the BNP-Jamaat combine.
Talking to The Independent, AL presidium member Satish Chandra Roy said the party’s main target is to make the next election acceptable to all by increasing peoples’ participation in it. “As the main opposition BNP refused to take part in the election, our main target is to increase voter presence during the polls,” he added.
Seeking anonymity, an AL leader said, “Our target is to increase voter participation. If at least 60–65 per cent voters participate in the election, then the polls will be acceptable.” When contacted, Awami League joint secretary-general Mahbub-ul-Alam Hanif, who was campaigning at his constituency Kustia-3, told this correspondent over phone: “I’m campaigning to eliminate people’s fear of violence during the polling day.”Earlier, On Thursday night, a meeting was held at the Prime Minister’s official residence, Ganobhaban, between members of the Awami League Central Working Committee, ALECC and Sheikh Hasina. The leaders there unanimously took the decision to hold the next general elections on time for the sake of constitutional continuity. Sources said that Hasina had asked the party’s central leaders and candidates for the election, who have already been elected unopposed, to go to their respective constituencies and talk to people to increase voter presence during the polling day.
“It is not fair that you sit here while our grassroots-level leaders are being beaten up. You should go to your own constituencies and stand beside them,” a senior leader said, having quoted the PM.
The Prime Minister would shortly visit her constituencies—Gopalganj-3 and Rangpur-6—where she is expected to deliver speeches at two public meetings, the sources said.
-With The Independent input
