The New Nation - Internet Edition

Pankaj Karmakar

The Awami League has initiated preparation for participating in the upcoming National Election as its party chief and former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was released on Wednesday.

As part of the preparation, the party yesterday in a working committee's meeting selected nine delegates to join the Government -sponsored dialogue.

The delegates to the dialogue are: Zillur Rahman, Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, Amir Hossain Amu, Abdur Razzak, Tofail Ahmed, Suranjit Sengupta, Motia Chowdhury, Ataur Rahman Khan Kaiser and Syed Ahsraful Islam.

Ashraful acting General Secretary of AL said the party would send the list to the CA office shortly. He further said that the party wants a logical conclusion of the caretaker government's initiatives to arrange the parliamentary elections in a free and fair manner.

He also demanded the withdrawal of state of emergency completely before the election to make it fair, transparent and acceptable.

The party chief Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday directed her colleagues to join the dialogue under the leadership of party's Acting President Zillur Rahman and to take all preparations for the polls.

Source said the party would launch formal political activities regarding the preparation for participating in the National Election by the end of this month.

Beside this, the central leaders of the party will begin cross-country visits from June20 to June 30 being divided in eighteen units.

About the tour programme a central leader said, " We have decided to launch the programme to inject vigour among the local leaders and activists and to resolve the organisational crisis prevailing in the districts and thana committees. It will also help to build bridge among the central leaders and local leaders and activists."

Talking to The New Nation, Syed Ashraful Islam said, " The ultimate goal of a political party is to participate in the election. We were in a dilemma regarding this issue while the party chief was in detention. But now we are committed to participate in the national election."

He also added that the government would have to fulfil the six-point demand including the trial of war criminals to ensure the participation of Awami League in the election although one-point has been partially met.

The duration of the AL-sponsored mass signature campaign to press the 6-point demand has been extended till July 15 as many party leaders and workers were arrested during the current clampdown. The campaign was scheduled to end on June 30.

On the other hand, Awami League has initiated to communicate with its allies, as the party has a strong desire to participate in the election along with 14-parties alliance.

As a part of reactivating the allies Syed Ashraful Islam yesterday met with Workers Party's President Rashed Khan Menon at his party office.

During the courtesy call, Ashraful discussed 14-party stand on election issues to be placed by Awami League during its dialogue with the caretaker government shortly.

Ashraful told that they discussed the recent release of Sheikh Hasina, political dialogue and election matters.

Rashed Khan Menon said Awami League would hold dialogue separately with its allies in the 14-party combine before going to the dialogue.