The ruling Awami League (AL) on Friday urged the Opposition to withdraw its non-stop hartals, scheduled to begin from Saturdaymorning across the country, and “take to the path of compromise in order to resolve the country’s prevailing political impasse”.
“Come to the path of compromise and democracy, giving up the politics of hartals,” said AL presidium member Mohammad Nasim, who added that the next general elections would be held in due time in line with the country’s Constitutional provisions.
Mohammad Nasim, who is also a former home minister, was addressing a press conference at Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Dhanmondi political office in the city. The meet was organised in response to Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson Khaleda Zia’s address.
The AL leader said they expected the BNP chief would choose the path of compromise, but she has selected the path of confrontation, which is very unfortunate. While the Prime Minister was preparing to sit down with the Opposition for talks to form an election-time government, at that time Khaleda Zia has chosen the path of confrontation. The people will sit in trial over such decisions of the Leader of the Opposition, he added.
Rejecting Khaleda’s claim that the Awami League-led government is illegal, the AL leader said the Sheikh Hasina-government would legally remain in power until the next general elections are
held. Describing BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia’s speech as “illogical, absurd and provocative”, the senior AL leader suggested Khaleda should go through Article 57(3) of the Constitution. At the same time, he rhetorically asked the Opposition leader whether she obeyed the Constitution or not.
About Khaleda Zia’s claim that the Sheikh Hasina administration was going to hold an one-sided election, Nasim said the next election must be held with the participation of all political parties as the AL believes in the people’s mandate.
The AL-led 14-party Grand Alliance also urged the BNP chairperson to accept the Prime Minister’s proposal to form an all-party election-time government to oversee the next polls.
“Our Premier Sheikh Hasina will make an offer to the Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia anytime to sit for a dialogue on the formation of a poll-time government. We hope the BNP chief will accept the offer,” said Mohammad Nasim, who is the 14-party alliance coordinator.
The senior Awami League leader said the Opposition should sit down with the government for a dialogue to resolve the ongoing political stalemate, instead of creating anarchic conditions in the country on the pretext of organising an antigovernment movement.
At the same time, Mohammad Nasim expressed his hope that the main Opposition chairperson would not help unelected forces attain state power undemocratically.
Referring to BNP chief Khaleda Zia’s proposal on the poll-time government, the AL leader said the Opposition leader has made an “impractical” proposal in a bid to create an anarchic situation in the country ahead of the general elections.
Meanwhile, leaders and workers of the Awami League and its associate bodies took positions at the party’s central office in Bangabandhu Avenue and its adjacent areas to resist the Opposition’s attempt to create anarchy in the city.
They marched towards the party’s central office from different parts of the capital since the morning, defying rain.
Talking to the media, state minister for law, justice and parliamentary affairs, Advocate Quamrul Islam, said the movement of the Jamaat-Shibir men, who were marching towards Suhrawardy Udyan, seemed ominous.
He said if the Opposition breaks its promise, the personnel of the law enforcement agencies would show zero tolerance in curbing them. On the other hand, the leaders and workers of Awami League and its front organizations will stay alert on the streets to foil any evil attempt on their part.
State minister for local government and rural development (LGRD) and cooperatives, Jahangir Kabir Nanok, told the reporters that the BNP was hatching a conspiracy to foil the next general elections by creating anarchic conditions in the country. He also alleged that Opposition leader Khaleda Zia had hired terrorists, killers and shooters from across the country in a bid to spark anarchy in the capital.
-With The Independent input
