AL to hold rally during BNP’s mass sit-in
Ruling Awami League will remain on guard on the streets during opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s mass sit-in programme scheduled on 11 January.
Party sources said the ward units were directed to bring out processions and ‘remain alert’ on the day.
Awami League was also active during the BNP’s Dhaka divisional mass rally on 10 December and mass procession on 30 December. The party sources, however, said the AL activists were asked not to be aggressive but rather just stay on the streets to keep the BNP under pressure.
BNP has called a nationwide sit-in programme on 11 January as part of its ongoing movement demanding caretaker government during the next (12th) parliamentary elections, price hike of daily essentials, release of the party chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and senior vice chairperson Tariq Rahman and a few other issues.
The Awami League, however, only gives importance to Dhaka’s sit-in programme. That is why the Dhaka city north Awami League has called a rally in Mirpur and the south unit at Bangabandhu Avenue. Both rallies would be held in the afternoon.
BNP’s past activities have taught us to take cautionary measures. Our leaders and activists would get ready as soon as they resort to subversive activities
The party activists were asked to gather at their respective areas in the morning and join the rally with processions. Awami League’s general secretary Obaidul Quader and other central leaders would attend the two rallies.
City units have already held several preparatory meetings to make the rallies successful. The party has not, however, decided whether the AL north unit’s rally would be held in front of Mirpur National College or Bangla College.
Several leaders of the Awami League said they want to have their presence on the streets as was on 30 December. The party will hold the usual rally if BNP’s programme fails to gather large attendance or does not extend. If the party wants to prolong the sit-in programme, the AL activists would take measures as per the direction of the central leadership.
Awami League’s joint general secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim told Prothom Alo, “BNP’s past activities have taught us to take cautionary measures. Our leaders and activists would get ready as soon as they (BNP) resort to subversive activities. Awami League will remain alert on 11 January too.”
Awami League organised a preparatory meeting over BNP’s sit-in programme on Friday. The party’s central leaders along with north and south units were present during the meeting.
Apart from that, AL Dhaka divisional organising secretary Mirza Azam hold separate discussions with city unit leaders. The party chalked out a detailed plan of action for 11 January based on these meetings.
A central leader of the ruling party on condition of anonymity told Prothom Alo that the party wants to keep BNP under a bit of pressure through the programme. The ruling party does not want to create any fuss before the US assistant secretary of state Donald Lu’s Dhaka visit on 14 January. The ruling party, however, would not allow BNP to show its strength on the street, the leader added.
Earlier, on 30 December, centring BNP’s mass procession, Dhaka city north unit AL hold rallies in 11 places in the city.
Two central AL leaders on condition of anonymity told Prothom Alo that BNP could not hold a massive gathering on 10 December as the ruling party was active on the street. The same strategy worked on 30 December.
The two leaders said Awami League would remain active with counter programmes centring any programmes of the BNP.