The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

Awami League leaders yesterday pledged to launch vigorous street agitation for the release of detained party president Sheikh Hasina, if she is not freed through party's ongoing peaceful movement.

They alleged that the party is compelled to launch tougher movement against the government, as it is not showing any positive attitude following their peaceful movement.

The AL leaders said this while addressing a programme at the party's central office at Bangabandhu Avenue, as city AL leaders handed over a memorandum containing mass signatures demanding unconditional release of Sheikh Hasina. Party presidium member Amir Hossain Amu received the memorandum.

Speaking on the occasion, Amu said they hoped that the government would free Sheikh Hasina prior to launching any agitation.

He said the Awami League is being run under the directive of detained party chief Sheikh Hasina and the next course of movement would be taken under her instructions.

"If the government wants to hold any other polls bypassing the parliamentary elections, it would prove that it is misleading the people over holding elections," Amu said and warned that any such move would be resisted.

He said the caretaker government has no right to hold any other elections except the parliamentary election and called for holding general elections as early as possible after withdrawing the state of emergency.

AL organizing secretary Abdul Mannan said the party would declare a tougher movement to free Hasina, as the government has not yet shown any positive attitude following their peaceful, constructive programmes.

He said dialogue as well as general election would not be possible in this country without Sheikh Hasina's presence.

Dhaka City AL acting general secretary Adv Qamrul Islam said the mass signature campaign and token hunger strike are the final stage of the constructive movement. "If our leader Sheikh Hasina is not freed through this constructive movement, then we'll have to launch street movement to free her."

Presided over by Dhaka City AL organizing secretary Shah-e-Alam Murad, the programme was attended, among others, by AL leaders Aktaruzzaman and KM Jahangir, and city unit leaders MA Aziz, Jamal Mostofa and Ilias Mollah.