The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

Political parties unlocked their offices across the country Tuesday to do politics indoors after a 14-month pause, as the caretaker government bent the emergency rules to allow them to take election preparation.

Reports reaching UNB newsroom said leaders and workers of different political parties resumed their activities with much enthusiasm following the lifting of the ban on indoor politics.

Indoor politics was revived from yesterday under nine conditions set by government, following the chief adviser's address to the nation on Monday night.

In his speech Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed announced the holding of the stalled general election in the third week of December and end to restrictions on indoor politics countrywide from yesterday. He also set May 22 for the start of formal political dialogue to prepare modalities of the transition.

Indoor politics was allowed even after the declaration of the state of emergency on January 11, 2007, but the government on March 8 imposed a total ban on politics, be it indoor or outdoor, across the country.

Later on October 9, the tough-going interim regime relaxed the restrictions in the capital ahead of talks between the Election Commission and political parties.

UNB district correspondents reported from across the country, including Chittagong, Rajshai, Khulna, Barisal, Sylhet and Jessore, that major political parties, including Awami League, BNP, Jatiya Party and Jamaat, opened their long-locked offices and held political discussions.

Since morning, the political workers have been seen busy cleaning and decorating their deserted offices that have gathered dust over the 14 months since the 1/11 changeover amid a grave political crisis over the issues of the election, which was set for January 22 and later cancelled.

"The cheerful workers of the parties started thronging respective political offices since 10am and exchanged greetings with one another, some of them seen hugging their leaders and comrades out of emotion," the reports said, giving a spot account of the political resurrection.

Marking the restoration, most of the parties held separate milad-mahfil in their offices across the country and offered prayers for the betterment of their party and the country.

Workers of AL and BNP-the two former ruling parties-offered doa for release of their respective top leaders, Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia, who have ruled the country since the restoration of democracy through the 1990 people-power movement until the last changeover after which they were arrested, along with many bigwigs.

The enthusiastic political activists openly discussed many political issues and exchanged views on how to gear up their activities in the prevailing situation.

Release of AL president Sheikh Hasina and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia was on top of the agenda of the talks.

In Chittagong, leaders and workers of Awami League, BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) and other political parties thronged their respective party offices and resumed political activities after the long gap.

Supporters of two feuding factions of city BNP exchanged hot words over unlocking its locked party office in the afternoon. The situation came under control with the intervention of senior leaders.

Meanwhile, former president of Chittagong city AL MA Mannan and his supporters first set foot in the AL office in the morning. They arranged a milad-mahfil at the office in the afternoon.