Awami League will not spare BNP in taking the control of the movement on the streets of the cities. The party will conduct peace rallies, development processions, protest program against ‘terror and anarchy’ in the capital and across the country. The associate organizations of AL also took separate program regarding it, where the national leaders of AL will be present. The above information was revealed after talking to a few top leaders of AL.
In this context, AL presidium member Jahangir Kabir Nanak told The Bangladesh Pratidin, "Multi-faceted conspiracies have started ahead of the national parliament elections. BNP has announced that they will force the current government to resign and the elections will be held under a neutral government. According to our constitution, the election will be held under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. So we will remain on the streets until the election results are announced so that no one can disrupt the election. We will deal with all evil forces.”
According to the time set in the constitution, the 12th National Parliament election is scheduled to be held in the last week of December this year or the first week of January 2024. The constitution mandates that elections be held within 90 days before the end of the term of the current parliament. Accordingly, the Election Commission has started preparations for the national election in the first week of January 2024. Awami League has also started strong organizational activities to come to power for the fourth consecutive term.
Several policy-making leaders of AL said the party's MPs and nomination aspirants are spending their busy time in public relations in their own constituency to highlight the developments that Awami League has made in three consecutive terms. At the same time, the central leaders are also going to the grassroots. Awami League is holding peace rallies-development rallies, protest rallies against ‘BNP's terror and anarchy’ at different places almost every day in the capital. The program has been announced from September 23 to October 4. Milad and Doa Mahfil will be held on the occasion of AL President Sheikh Hasina's birthday on Thursday.
In addition, a procession will be taken out, and a discussion meeting is going to be organized in the capital on Friday. Next Saturday, the farmers' rally will be held in the capital. The rally will be held in protest against the shooting death of 18 farmers demanding oil and fertilizer during the BNP regime in 1995 and the killing of 24 farmers agitating for electricity in 2004.
President of Krishak League Sameer Chand told The Bangladesh Pratidin, 'This is the first time after the establishment of Awami League, the party will hold farmers’ rally as part of its program. It will hold the best farmers rally in memory. More than 3 lakh farmers from all over the country will gather at the south gate of Baitul Mukarram in the capital. In addition to demanding the killing of farmers, we will promise to bring the agriculture-friendly government Awami League back to power on that day.”
It is known that the leaders of the organization are carrying out extensive activities across the country to make the rally of Farmers League successful.
BNP, the main political opponent of AL in the National Parliament election, has started the movement. BNP is demanding the formation of a neutral caretaker government and elections under that government after the resignation of the AL government. However, AL has already announced that it will not accept the caretaker government's demand, which was canceled by the High Court's verdict. Not only that, Awami League has taken a strict stand on this issue. The elected government at the time of election i.e. the current AL government will be in charge. The election commission will conduct the election according to the constitution. With this position, the next league will proceed towards the election. In this context, Awami League has announced to deal with BNP's movement politically on the streets. The ruling party has taken the election as a challenge as per the constitution by confronting the movement of the opposition.
In this context, AL Joint general secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim told The Bangladesh Pratidin, “We will deal with all the evil forces under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina. We will not let anyone take away our right to vote. Awami League will be active on the streets to give the nation a peaceful election.”
BNP boycotted the last 10th National Parliament election, the government was able to bring the BNP alliance to the election in the 11th National Parliament election. Elections are also held according to the constitution. It was a political victory for Awami League, the party's policy-makers think. However, they think that the reality this time is a little different. The BNP-Jamaat movement to counter the 5 January 2014 elections turned violent and resulted in destructive situations and many casualties. Awami League and government policy-makers are also thinking whether there will be an attempt to create such a situation in the coming days, sources said. However, the administration and the law enforcement forces of the government will be in a strict position to deal with any unstable situation. Besides, Awami League has also decided to stay in the field with its political position. Awami League's organizing secretary Mirza Azam told The Bangladesh Pratidin that we would win the next election by defeating BNP on the streets. There is no other way in front of us.
Another organizing secretary of the party SM Kamal Hossain told The Bangladesh Pratidin, “BNP and their allies are anti-people, killers of democracy, anti-national forces. In the past they have committed arson, terrorist, militant activities, killing people; hence, they cannot be trusted. We will try to resist them with the people and will remain alert.
(The report was published in Bengali on print and online versions of The Bangladesh Pratidin on September 28 and rewritten in English by Lutful Hoque)
