Bangladesh News

The 14-party coalition yesterday expressed its firm resolve to go on with its blockade programme until its demands including reconstitution of the Election Commission (EC), removal of the chief election commissioner (CEC) and three election commissioners and correction of voter list are met.
“The blockade programme will continue until the Election Commission is reconstituted and 11-point immediate tasks placed before the president/chief adviser are implemented,” Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina said in a statement.

At a press briefing at AL’s Dhanmondi office in the capital yesterday, AL-led 14-party Coordinator Abdul Jalil also echoed the same view.

The AL president alleged that instead of taking any measurers to create a congenial atmosphere for free and fair polls, the president/chief adviser (CA) has pushed the country into a crisis.

Without implementing the 11-point tasks, President/CA Iajuddin Ahmed has destroyed the concept of non-party caretaker government as per Hawa Bhaban’s (BNP’s Banani office) dictates, Hasina said.

On people’s sufferings due to the blockade, she said, “I know they have to suffer a lot for this. We are also suffering. We don’t want to make them suffer and bring the country to a standstill.”

She went on, “We have repeatedly given the president time (to implement the tasks) and kept patience. But he did not pay any heed to our demands. The president is mainly responsible for the present situation, and we have been forced to enforce the blockade again as there was no other way for us.”

The AL chief said the people are now determined to ensure a free and fair election. Conspiracy by the evil forces cannot foil the movement for implementing the 11-point demand. Victory of the people is a must as the evil forces are going to be defeated through a united resistance, she asserted.

Hasina thanked the people for observing the blockade ignoring, what she said, threats and harassment by the BNP-Jamaat alliance.

14-PARTY BRIEFING

Briefing newsmen, Jalil accused Iajuddin of pushing the country towards ‘blockade-movement’ by not taking steps to create a level playing ground for free and fair elections.

“Our movement will continue until the 11-point demand is met. There is still time to implement those,” said the AL general secretary.

Prior to the briefing, the 14-party at a meeting discussed the current political situation.

Referring to the BNP chairperson’s demand for announcement of election schedule without delay, Jalil said they will not allow this until their 11-point demand is met. Announcement of polls schedule before that would simply mean departure of Iajuddin and CEC MA Aziz together, he warned.

The BNP-Jamaat coalition wants polls schedule now for holding an election under its blue-print to come back to power. “But we will resist any such bid,” Jalil said.

Jalil announced that all programmes marking the Armed Forces Day today would be out of the purview of the blockade programme. On this occasion, he congratulated the armed forces on behalf of the 14-party.

Jalil reiterated the demand for immediate cancellation of all contractual appointments through a single notice, and drastic changes both in the civil and police administration for creating a congenial atmosphere for election.

He alleged that bureaucrats loyal to BNP-Jamaat are hindering free flow of information by not allowing journalists to enter the EC and the Bangabhaban, and strongly condemned this.

The 14-party coordinator demanded immediate arrest and punishment of BNP-Jamaat men who ‘patronised’ different militant outfits.

Those present at the briefing included Abdur Razzak, Tofail Ahmed, Suranjit Sengupta, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Obaidul Quader, Rashed Khan Menon, Hasanul Haque Inu, Abdur Rahman, Abdul Mannan, Sultan Mohammad Mansur Ahmed, Bimal Biswas, Pankaj Bhattacharya, Nurul Islam and Dilip Barua.