Awami League joint general secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif alleged on Tuesday that the main Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has been hatching conspiracies for the last four-and-a-half years to oust an elected government, and now it is trying to make Parliament dysfunctional. “The Opposition’s conspiracy for ousting an elected government is still on. They are hatching conspiracies in many ways. Our leaders and workers will have to remain alert in their localities so that they do not succeed in achieving their evil designs,” he said.
Hanif, who is also special assistant to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, said this while speaking as the chief guest at an extended meeting of the Dhaka City unit of the Awami League at its Bangabandhu Avenue office in the city.
Criticizing the Opposition for walking out of the House, the AL leader said it is now clear to the people of the country that members of the Opposition returned to Parliament only to save their memberships and protect their allowances.
He also urged the Opposition to say whatever it wants to say in Parliament. It is possible to find an acceptable solution through talks to break the ongoing political impasse, he added.
The AL leader also accused the BNP of spreading falsehoods in Parliament on Monday.
He also said the BNP does not actually want to bring back a non-party neutral government to oversee the next general elections. This has been proved by the BNP’s withdrawal of its notice on an adjournment motion regarding dialogue in this regard.
“The BNP’s demand for holding free and fair elections is not true in the real sense of the term following the withdrawal of their notice on the adjournment motion. Their main demand is to save the war criminals under the cover of restoration of a caretaker government,” he said.
AL joint general secretary urged the party leaders and workers to strengthen the party in every city ward, union and thana areas prior to the elections to the Dhaka City Corporation in order to ensure that their party candidates are victorious.
Speaking at the meeting, advocate Quamrul Islam said no non-elected government would ever come back in the country as the people do not want to see any such administration at the helm of state affairs even for a day. He also expressed his hope that the next general elections will be held in a free, fair and credible manner and all the political parties of the country, including the BNP, will take part in the elections.
The Dhaka City Awami League organised the extended meeting as a preparation for holding a gathering of elite people in all the parliamentary constituencies in the capital.
Leaders of the Awami League-led 14-party alliance, members of the local elites and intellectuals, including teachers, doctors, engineers, journalists, lawyers, leaders of the trade bodies and a cross section of professionals, are likely to address the planned elite gatherings.
Dhaka City AL acting president MA Aziz chaired the extended meeting.
-With The Independent input
