The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

Awami League president Sheikh Hasina, now in USA on interim bail, has instructed her party not to take part in general elections under the state of emergency.

"I am telling you, at the instruction of Sheikh Hasina, Awami League will not take part in the elections under the emergency," acting AL president Zillur Rahman told reporters after a meeting with several hundred members of newly floated Awami Tarun League at his Gulshan house.

Zillur said Awami League would not also join any elections before the parliamentary polls.

"Even if elections are held under the emergency, Awami League will not participate," he said, adding they would take appropriate steps at appropriate time.

The Awami League leader also protested devolving of magistracy powers to the army during the national elections. Army will be able to arrest any one under this power.

He said people in rural areas are scared of the presence of army and if they are given the magistracy powers, voters in rural areas would not turn up to election centers out of fear.

Zillur demanded withdrawal of the magistracy powers from the army.

About 250 members of the Tarun League met Zillur Rahman with demands for recognizing August 15 as National Mourning Day and a public holiday following the recent High Court judgment. The Tarun League also demanded permanent bail to Hasina.

Awami League leaders Abdur Razzak, Maj Gen (retd) M Subed Ali Bhuiyan and Tarun League general secretary Mosleh Uddin Mahfuz were, among others, present.