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Download PDF The Awami League (AL) called on the government yesterday to hold dialogue with political parties separately because they would back out if the administration sits together with all parties, including the Jamaat-e-Islami.
“The Awami League will not go to any dialogue if the Jamaat is invited there. We cannot sit together with Jamaat,” AL presidium member Tofail Ahmed told reporters at the party’s acting President Zillur Rahman’s Gulshan residence in the capital.
He said the government should follow the Election Commission in arranging dialogue with political parties as every party has its own stand and ideology. The EC sat separately with the parties on electoral reforms.
Zillur Rahman said the release of Awami League President Sheikh Hasina would be high on the agenda during the proposed dialogue, with Tofail adding that the issue of keeping war criminals out of the elections and bringing them to trial would also be on the agenda of the AL.
Tofail, however, said the agenda for the proposed dialogue would be finalised at party forum which will be convened after getting the date for the talks.
Replying to a query, Zillur said they want early polls and would move ahead with Sheikh Hasina’s demand for elections by March-April this year.
He said there should be no problem in holding the elections early because the country is now witnessing stability, adding that voter registration is a continuous process and the government could hold the polls right now if they want so.
Giving the AL’s formal reaction to the speech of Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed, Zillur said the only positive side of his address was that he assured the nation that the elections would be held according to the announced electoral roadmap.
Zillur expressed frustration as the chief adviser did not say anything about the release of state prisoners and university teachers, labour unrest, closure of mills and factories, leakage of question papers of National University and sixth wage board award for newspaper employees.
“Although the chief adviser admitted to rice crisis, he failed to give any permanent solution to it,’ Zillur said.
On whether the AL would only demand the release of Hasina or would also call for the release of other political leaders including Khaleda Zia, he said their party wanted the release of all state prisoners but added that Hasina’s was more logical and it would get priority.
Asked whether the AL supports what Hasina said in court on her arrest, another presidium member Motia Chowdhury said Hasina’s statement was a clear reflection of the feelings of the whole nation because people have no doubt about the trick behind her arrest.
REACTION TO CHARGE FRAMING AGAINST HASINA
The acting chairman of Jatiya Party (JP), Anisul Islam Mahmud, said the trial of Sheikh Hasina should be transparent. “The law should take its own course and if she is not convicted, she should be freed,” he told The Daily Star.
Workers Party President Rashed Khan Menon alleged that despite their repeated request, due process of law has not been followed in Hasina’s trial. “The entire anti-corruption drive will be questioned if due process is not followed,” Menon, a key leader of the AL-led 14-party combine, told this newspaper.
Saying confusion has already been created over the legal process of the charge brought against Hasina, he urged the authorities concerned not to further deepen it. Menon hoped that Hasina would be exonerated if due process were followed.
Terming the issue as legal one, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal President Hasanul Haque Inu said the matter should be resolved legally. He urged the government to follow due process in Hasina’s trial.
January 15th, 2008 at 6:38 am
36years after Awami League woke up, till then they were sleeping! What a joke!