SM Mizanur Rahman :
The ruling Awami League (AL) is going to face the BNP-led 20-party alliance’s ongoing programme, what they termed ‘violence’, politically on the streets.
“We are going to face the 20-party alliance on the streets. There’ll be no dialogue with killers and terrorists,” said a presidium member of the party.
Talking to The New Nation on Saturday, AL presidium members Kazi Zafarullah, Nuhul Alam Lenin and Satish Chandra Roy said party’s front ranking leaders are now visiting different districts to hold councils there in a bid to rejuvenate the organisational activities and to face the BNP-Jamaat politically on the streets.
Replying to a query the members of highest policy-making body of the party said no discussion took place inside the party forum about the dialogue.
Terming the BNP-Jamaat as militant, Kazi Zafarullah said being failed to take to street they are now launching clandestine attack. “We are ready to face the BNP-Jamaat politically on the streets. Enforcing blockade and hartal they went into hiding as they don’t have courage to come out on the streets. The BNP-Jamaat has virtually been turned into a militant group,” he said.
He said most of the district committees have not got new leadership in the absence of council session.
“There are 73 district committees of the party, which is 6-14 years old. We will hold council in a bid to gear up the grassroots leaders,” Kazi Zafarullah said.
“As per the party constitution, a council of district committee is schedule to be held every three years to get new leadership. I’m now in Narail district for the district committee council schedule to be held on February 15. At the same time, we are holding meetings and exchanging views with local people and different professionals to get united against the BNP-Jamaat hooliganism,” he said.
He also said that they were trying to include new leadership in the party to rejuvenate party’s organisational activities.
“The AL leaders are committed to party President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resist the countrywide sabotages and arson attacks with a strong hand. So, we have no alternative, but to face the BNP-Jamaat on the streets,” he said.
Satish Chandra Roy said, “We will face the prevailing situation with iron hand. But it is better time to resist the violence together politically,” he said.
Nuhul Alam Lenin described the 20-party alliance as killers and terrorists, and ruled out the possibility of holding any dialogue with the alliance.
“We are now busy to form committees at the party’s grassroots level to face the BNP-Jamaat’s terrorism. Besides, new committees will be formed dividing the existing Dhaka city unit of the party into two new units – Dhaka South and Dhaka North,” he added.
He said as the AL President directed the party leaders to complete conventions of all units as soon as possible, the party’s front leaders are now engaged in forming district committees.
“Our leader and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina repeatedly made her stand clear to the nation that her party as well as government would never bow down to the terrors and killers,” Nuhul Alam Lenin said questioning the logic behind the ongoing movement of the alliance.
He said the 20-party alliance’s demand for mid-term election under a non-party caretaker government would never be implemented. “Their demand is not for any mid-term election, nor non-party government. They just want to make Bangladesh a terror dominated country,” he said.
Nu-ul Alam Lenin said as per the high command directive, party’s leaders are working in capital Dhaka, metropolitan cities and towns and remote areas to mobilise public opinion against the 20-party’s violence. “Besides, the leaders and workers from central to grassroots level have remained alert on the streets and highways round the clock in a bid to thwart any subversive activities,” he said.
