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Download PDF The Awami League (AL) led 14-party combine resumes today non-stop countrywide blockade this time calling for President Iajuddin Ahmed to stand down as chief adviser as the second deadline for implementation of its 11-point demand expired last night.
In significant developments yesterday, Jatiya Oikya Front comprising Liberal Democratic Front (LDP), Jatiya Oikya Mancha and Bangladesh Tariqat Federation joined forces with the AL and its allies.
The same day the BNP-led four-party alliance declared that it will be in the streets today to protest the ‘anarchy’ of the 14-party, raising the spectre of violent confrontations. It will hold rallies and processions across the country.
In line with a decision taken at a joint meeting, Jatiya Oikya Front will take part in the blockade to push for ouster of Iajuddin from the office of caretaker government chief. They will work in unison with the 14-party combine to press home the demands that include among others reconstitution of the Election Commission (EC), depoliticization of the administration and correction of the voter list.
Besides, three other parties–Islamic Front Bangladesh, a faction of Islamic Oikya Jote and Nezame Islam Party– have expressed solidarity with the 14-party alliance in its campaign for removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) MA Aziz and three other election commissioners.
In another development, AL President Sheikh Hasina met President Iajuddin Ahmed at the Bangabhaban last evening.
During the two-hour meeting, Hasina told him that he had failed to prove what she said was his neutrality. She said a non-stop blockade would resume today until the demands are met.
The 14-party set the second deadline for Iajuddin to carry out the 11-point demand on November 15.
The AL chief first declared the blockade programme on November 11 and postponed it after four days, considering public sufferings and their confidence in the negotiations with the advisers.
As expected, Dhaka Metropolitan Police yesterday imposed a ban on processions, rallies, demonstrations, and blockade, carrying firearms, sticks, oar, pole, sickle and other ammunition in the capital.
The official ruling will be in force till the next order is issued.
Around 15,000 police, paramilitary Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) and members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) will be posted across the city to maintain law and order.
At a press briefing at Dhanmondi AL office yesterday evening, 14-party Coordinator Abdul Jalil warned that the CA would be forced to resign if he continues his efforts to implement “the BNP-Jamaat’s blueprint for election engineering”.
The combine leaders said they will seek to blockade all roads, rail and waterways and cut off the capital from the rest of the country. All ports will be shut down and districts and upazila headquarters will be brought to a standstill from today, they added.
BLOCKADE POINTS
Dhaka city 14-party coordinator Mofazzel Hossain Chowdhury Maya last night told The Daily Star that blockade will be enforced at 40 points across the capital. Maya, also city AL general secretary, said they will resist any attempts to foil the programme.
JOINT BRIEFING
After an hour-long meeting, Jatiya Oikya Front and the 14-party held a press conference.
Addressing the briefing, Abdul Jalil said they have decided to launch a simultaneous movement starting with the blockade today.
He said a deep-rooted conspiracy is on to destroy the national sovereignty and democracy and all political parties must unite in resistance to the evil forces in BNP-Jamaat coalition. “So, we have reached a consensus in favour of a simultaneous movement,” he observed.
Jalil, also general secretary of AL, said in no way will they accept the election schedule if it is announced before implementing the 11-point demand of the 14-party and eight-point of the Oikya Front.
The meeting rejected the president’s proposal for appointing two more election commissioners instead of booting out CEC Justice Aziz and the three other commissioners from the EC.
The meeting observed that the president/chief adviser has been frantically trying to implement the BNP-Jamaat plot to hold a “blueprint election”. He seems relentless in his efforts to announce the schedule without creating an atmosphere congenial to conduct of a free and fair election.
It also expressed fear that if the commission announces the schedule on orders from Khaleda Zia, it would certainly translate into a severe disruption to the democratic process.
The meeting demanded that the advisers of the caretaker government be empowered more and allocated ministries that are vital with respect to the conduct of election.
Briefing the newsmen, Oikya Front Coordinator Major (retired) Abdul Mannan said the discussion with the 14-party was successful. Both the sides believe that reconstitution of the EC is the most important political imperative at the moment. The election will not be acceptable if held without reorganisation of the commission.
Mannan, also secretary general of LDP, said now there is no alternative to ouster of Iajuddin as he has failed miserably to discharge his duties as the chief adviser. He said alongside AL and its allies, they will be on the streets to press home the demands.
Mannan said they will also hold a peaceful sit-in in the capital today.
Among others, Abdur Razzak, Tofail Ahmed, Suranjit Sengupta, Motia Chowdhury, Kazi Zafarullah, Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir, Obaidul Quader, Rashed Khan Menon, Bimal Biswas, Nurul Islam, and Dilip Barua of the 14-party combine and Alamgir Kabir, Major General (retired) Anwarul Kabir Talukdar, Barrister Ziaur Rahman, Mahi B Chowdhury, and Firoz M Hassan of Oikya Front were present at the meeting.
Later, delegations of Islamic Front Bangladesh led by Syed Bahadur Shah, Islamic Oikya Jote (a faction) led by Mezbaur Rahman Chowdhury and Nezame Islam Party led by Harun-e-Abdullah Al Masud Khan exchanged views with the leaders of the 14-party alliance. They declared to join forces with the AL and its allies in the ongoing movement for reconstitution of the EC.
After meeting the Islamic parties, Jalil said BNP-Jamaat has used Islam for narrow political gains.
Meanwhile, the 14-party leaders are keeping close contact with different other organisations with a view to take them on board to up the tempo of the current agitation, said sources.
They could meet the Jukto Front leaders within a couple of days, said sources. Jukto Front comprises Krishak Sramik Janata League of Kader Siddiqui and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) of ASM Abdur Rob.
Besides, some senior leaders are in touch with Jatiya Party (Ershad), JP (Anwar Hossain Manju) and Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP) over the issue of EC reforms, added the sources.
11-PARTY MEETING
The Dhaka city unit of 11-party, a major component of the 14-party, yesterday held a meeting at the office of Bangladesh Workers Party. The meeting discussed the preparation for the blockade programme and called on the president/CA to take immediate steps to remove CEC MA Aziz and three other election commissioners.
FIVE-LEFT PARTY
The same day five-left party and Gono Mukti Andolon held a joint meeting. They called for an immediate resolution of the ongoing political stalemate.
Samillita Islami Jote at an emergency meeting at its central office demanded that President Iajuddin Ahmed stand down and appoint a non-partisan person as the chief adviser.
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