Bangladesh News

Awami League (AL) presidium member Tofail Ahmed yesterday warned that there would be no alternative to waging movement if former prime minister Sheikh Hasina is not released from jail immediately.

Speaking at a discussion on the historic Mujibnagar Day, he urged the AL leaders, workers and supporters to prepare themselves for the movement which might be called for any time to free Hasina.

The Awami Jubo League, youth front of the party, organised the discussion at the AL’s central office on Bangabandhu Avenue. Jubo League presidium member Prof Mujibur Rahman presided over the discussion.

Tofail said the country is now going through a critical time and Hasina’s release is the only way to overcome it.

He demanded that the government hold parliamentary elections withdrawing the state of emergency. He said election to local government entities ahead of the parliamentary polls could hamper the national elections.

Tofail criticised the caretaker government for not observing the historic Mujibnagar Day at state level.

Presidium member Suranjit Sengupta alleged that the government arrested Hasina and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in a bid to send politics and politicians into exile.

“The two top leaders were not arrested on corruption and power-misuse allegations, rather they were arrested to implement the government’s plan to remove politics from the country,” he said.

Presidium member Motia Chowdhury said the AL cannot compromise on party demands just to make the government’s dialogue with political parties a success.

AL leaders Mukul Bose, Abdul Mannan and Dr Mostafa Jalal Mohiuddin and Jubo League leaders Mujibur Rahman Chowdhury, Faruq Hossain, Abdus Sattar Masud, Ataur Rahman Ata, Ismail Hossain and Mohiuddin Mohi, among others, spoke at the discussion.