Grassroots leaders for joining talks

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Most grassroots leaders of the Awami League (AL) are for recommending the central leadership of the party to participate in dialogues with the government and press for the six-point demand that includes release of party chief Sheikh Hasina prior to the national elections.

Their written recommendations will be placed today at the party’s extended meeting, first time in eight years, scheduled at 10:00am at Institution of Engineers’ Bangladesh (IEB) auditorium in the capital.

Many AL grassroots leaders told The Daily Star that their recommendations also include refraining from adopting tougher agitation programmes for the time being as the programmes might collide with the state of emergency and chalk out programmes that are best-suited for the context of the prevailing situation.

According to AL leaders, district unit leaders of the party at the extended meeting will submit their written recommendations along with recommendations from thana and upazila unit leaders.

AL President Sheikh Hasina advised the leaders of the party to organise the extended meeting to devise future agitation programmes by gathering comprehensive recommendations from all tiers of the party, said sources.

The meeting is likely to discuss various crucial issues including ways to free the party chief and take decisions on joining the dialogue with the government and participating in the upcoming parliamentary elections, added the sources.

Presidents and general secretaries of all 74 organisational districts of the party, members of advisory council, former lawmakers, members of national committee, associate members, assistant secretaries and representatives of all its front organisations and Dhaka city unit AL will take part in the extended meeting. The meeting will enable the AL to finalise its next course of action within a couple of days.

The grassroots leaders in the meeting will also submit detailed organisational reports as well as their assessment reports on their rival parties. They will also submit lists of cases filed against their leaders and workers during the caretaker government and the BNP-Jamaat coalition regime.

Syed Ashraful Islam, acting general secretary of AL, told reporters after a meeting of the party’s secretary level at Hasina’s political office in Dhanmondi, “We will take our final decision on crucial issues including the release of Sheikh Hasina, the dialogue and the elections, based on the recommendations received from the party’s grassroots leaders after holding a meeting of the central working committee within a few days.”

A number of leaders and workers of the city unit AL, all front organisations will be present at the IEB premises in a bid to show strength in favour of the demand for Hasina’s release.

Talking to The Daily Star, Chuadanga district unit general secretary Azadul Islam Azad said they would suggest the AL not to go for any tougher agitation programmes, although the party workers and common people want agitation programmes, to press home the six-point demand right now on grounds that the organisation is not organised.

He said the AL should join the dialogue to force the government to realise our six-point demand to ensure a free and fair election in the country, which people demands for. But the AL should not sign on any charter or accept any decision enforced by the government.

Azad said the AL should not act in such a way so that none could shift blame on the party in case if the election is not held in the country. “We want to take part in the election under the leadership of our party chief,” said the district leader.

“We will suggest the party not to take part in the upcoming election without the release of out party chief,” said Bhola district unit president Mofazzal Hossain Shahin. He said his district unit leaders think that the AL might join the dialogue with the government and make demand for Hasina’s release strongly. “We will suggest the central to announce vigorous agitation programme to free our leader [Hasina] if the government does not pay any heed to our demands ahead of the election,” he told The Daily Star.

Adv Nurul Islam Sujon, president of Panchagarh district unit, said they would suggest the central AL to go for such agitation programmes right now so that the programmes do not collide with the state of emergency. “We will urge them to avoid any tougher agitation programme in the present context,” he told The Daily Star.

Sujon also said they will also urge the AL to take all decision after consulting with the grassroots level leaders.

Salahuddin Ahmed, general secretary of Cox’s Bazar district said their prime demand would be the release of Hasina. He also said they would suggest the central AL not to take any such decision so that the anti-liberation war forces and BNP come to power. “We will suggest them to adopt policies based on reality,” he told The Daily Star.

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