The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

Awami League wouldn't go to parliamentary polls under the state of emergency and without party chief Sheikh Hasina's presence in the fray, it was categorically stated Sunday as a cloud of uncertainties still hang over the country's political arena.

"If the caretaker government goes for holding the parliamentary polls under the ongoing state of emergency, we'll not participate in that election," acting Awami League president Zillur Rahman said while talking to reporters at his Gulshan house.

Demanding immediate unconditional release of detained party chief and ex-PM Sheikh Hasina and sending her to the USA for treatment, he said Awami League would not take part in the parliamentary polls without her participation.

Responding to a query whether the party will join the formal talks with the caretaker government without Sheikh Hasina, Zillur said it would be decided at party's presidium meeting.

Asked about exact timing of staging countrywide hunger strike, scheduled to be staged before April 20 to press its 5-point demand, including release of Hasina, he said the party would soon announce the date of staging the planned hunger strike.

"We will exchange views with the district-level leaders of the party first and then we will declare the date of the hunger strike," he said.

The AL leader asked the government to withdraw the 15-month-old state of emergency, failing which, he threatened, the party would be compelled to go for street agitation even under the emergency if such a situation was created.