The New Nation - Internet Edition

Hasanuzzaman Khan

AWAMI League leader Suranjeet Sen Gupta has equated the government with a hydra- headed monster having two canine teeth in front of the mouth. But the two teeth do not work. They cannot do anything without support from behind-the-scene forces, he said.

Calling for the induction of the Army in the ensuing political talks Suranjeet said actually they are ruling the country. They are the first party not the third party as often bracketed they are. All the behind-the-scene forces should surface in the ensuing formal talks for the future political dispensation of the country, he said. He also made an oblique reference to an external force guiding the government.

While speaking at the BBC Bangladesh dialogue Suranjeet said, the advisers of the government are taken on military choice. They can not take a decision without their consent, he said.

Suranjeet's open advocacy came under fire at the Awami League presidium meeting yesterday. The presidium meeting where Suranjeet, Abdur Razzaq and Amir Hossain Amu were absent censured Suranjeet for expressing views beyond the party mandate. Party acting General Secretary Syed Asraful Islam said who will take part in the proposed dialogue from the government side is to be decided by the latter. He cannot make any open invitation to the Army to join the talks. Suranjeet was asked by the party presidium to give his explanation.

Elaborating his point Suranjeet said the Army has been actually ruling the country from behind. So it is better to talk to those who are at the helm of the affairs of the country. The Chief Adviser and other advisers can not take any decision independently. They are mere dummies, said Brigadier (Retd) Hannan Shah, a BNP leader, in the same BBC Bangladesh talks.

Pro-Khaleda BNP leader said, the entire country is being run by the task forces and special intelligence agencies. So we must get somewhere for having dialogue with them.

Suranjeet said, as the Army has formed the caretaker government led by Fakhruddin Ahmed, the former should be present in the dialogue as part of the government.

Their views faced stiff opposition from the panellists of the BBC dialogue. Kamal Lohani, a veteran journalist said, the induction of Army in the country's politics is suicidal. Democracy can not be restored in the country by bringing in Army to the dialogue.

In another development the Awami League has been allowed to hold hunger strike at the two party offices at Bangabandu Avenue and Dhanmondi on a limited scale.

Earlier the Dhaka metropoltican police slammed a ban on holding countrywide hunger strike scheduled for May 5.

The AL office secretary Mozammel Haque rushed to the DMP Commissioner to seek permission for holding hunger strike in a limited way and assured, their programme will not violate the emergency rules.

AL central leaders seem to be divided over holding of hunger strike programme scheduled to be staged today at the two party offices.

A senior presidium member who preferred to be unnamed told a national daily, it is unjust to observe political programme when political parties are holding talks with the government. But the said leader was vocal in favour of adopting the hunger strike programme in the party working committee meeting. Sensing the ill- motive of the senior leader Awami League supremo Sheikh Hasina sent a message to the Awami League acting general secretary Syed Ashraful to cut short the programme as she apprehends the said senior leader of the Awami Leage will torpedo the programme.

Delimitation of about 133 constituencies has irked the three major political parties - the BNP, the Awami League and the Jamaat-e-Islami. They in their separate reactions said, the government is set to have a select parliament in the coming polls. Even the family constituencies of the two top leaders of the country were not spared. The election prospects of many stalwarts are facing uncertainty under new electoral adjustment.