Bangladesh News

Acting Awami League (AL) President Zillur Rahman yesterday demanded immediate release of all political detainees, including party chief Sheikh Hasina, to make the next parliamentary polls credible.

“We’re demanding release of all political detainees, including our great leader Sheikh Hasina immediately. We want to see a free, fair and credible parliamentary election,” Zillur said.

The acting AL chief was addressing a press conference at the party’s Dhanmondi office in the morning.

AL Relief Committee for Sidr victims, led by party presidium member Abdur Razzak, arranged the press conference to present statistics on relief materials, including cash, distributed by the party among Sidr victims in the country’s southwestern districts.

Zillur also urged the caretaker government to lift the state of emergency soon, saying their fight for democracy will continue until their demands are met.

He thanked the AL leaders and activists both at home and abroad for their outstanding efforts to help the Sidr affected people.

“Soon after the November 15 cyclone, our party chief Sheikh Hasina had directed us to stand by the victims. Then we formed a committee to send relief materials to the affected people. Our party leaders and workers both at home and abroad have come forward in aid of the Sidr victims,” Zillur said.

AL Relief Committee Chairman Abdur Razzak presented various statistics on cash and other relief materials.

Razzak informed the journalists that a total of Tk 1,78,61,170 was deposited in the relief fund until January 31and the whole amount has been distributed as aid among the Sidr victims of 10 districts. A big amount was also spent on agri-rehabilitation programmes in the cyclone-hit areas, Razzak added.

He said medicines were also provided for thousands of people under the supervision of the relief committee.

Razzak said AL stood by the people during any kind of disaster and will continue its efforts to establish peace in society and ensure welfare of the people in the future too.

AL presidium members Motia Chowdhury, Suranjit Sengupta, Tofail Ahmed, Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury and Acting General Secretary Syed Ashraf Hossain were present at the press conference.