The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

Awami League leaders urged the caretaker government to declare specific date for parliamentary polls and to refrain from resorting to any action that could make elections uncertain.

They said AL will take part in bilateral dialogue with government without any precondition but if the government sets any condition, its results will not be good.

"People wants election. The government has said preparations for holding the elections is more or less completed. Now the government should declare specific date for the long-awaited election," AL presidium member Abdur Razzak told a discussion marking the 3rd anniversary of death of former Finance Minister Shah AMS Kibria. Kibria was assassinated in a grisly grenade attack in his hometown in Habiganj on January 27,2005.

AL presidium member Tofail Ahmed, organizing secretary Abdul Mannan, son of the slain Finance Minister Dr Reza Kibria, among others addressed the meeting with Jamaluddin Mohammad Akbar in the chair at the AL central office at Bangabandhu Avenue. Bangabandhu Sangskritic Jote organized the discussion.

Razzak said the caretaker government should hand over power to people' s elected representatives at the earliest for the sake of restoring peace in the country.

He said killers of Shah AMS Kibria and masterminds of the August 21 grenade attacks on AL meeting at Bangabandhu Avenue were yet to be brought to justice. "It is now a public question as to why the State has failed to unearth the culprits?" Razzak said the terrorists and their godfathers could not be arrested during the previous BNP-Jamaat regime as top men of that government were the masterminds of the brutal attacks.

"Now people hope that the caretaker government will fairly investigate into the terrorist attacks and killings," he said. Razzak demanded that investigation report of the grenade attack and Kibria's killing will have to be published.

He emphasized on holding of successful dialogues with political parties to arrange acceptable elections.

Tofail said AL will attend bilateral dialogue with the government. " We will not give any condition. We hope the government will also not set any condition. Otherwise, the result will not be good." He said the government should not behave shuch a way that might make the election uncertain.

Tofail said political parties and people are not the opponents of the government. "We want to help the caretaker government to arrange the election so they can hand over power to elected representatives of the people."

About the government-political party dialogue, Tofail said AL wants to discuss with the government not only election, but also other politico-economic problems prevailing in the country. He said the government will have to take effective steps to arrest skyrocketing prices of essentials including rice. Tofail said investigations into the Kibria killing and the August 21 grenade attack should be done by the United Nations. " And for the UN-sponsored investigation, the government will have to make the appeal," he said.

Dr Reza Kibria said that after killing of his father, a strong public opinion was grown up for punishment of the killers following their peaceful campaign.

"We wanted permission to continue the peaceful movement, but present caretaker government did not give us the permission," he said. Dr Reza alleged that collaborators of his father's killers are still active within the administration and the government. He opined that holding of the election will be risky without bringing his father's killers to justice.

"My father's killing and the August 21 grenade attack were not ordinary incidents. These are political crimes. So, if masterminds of such terrorism go unpunished, then the election will not be free and fair," he said.