The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff reporter

Awami League leader Amir Hossain Amu yesterday urged the Caretaker Government to hold national elections in mid October instead of December and to draft the Representatives of Peoples Ordinance (RPO) in consultation with political parties.

Amu, a party Presidium Member, made the call while addressing leaders and activists of Bangladesh Mahila Awami League at a discussion marking the fourth anniversary of martyrdom of party leaders and activists at the central party office.

He also called on the government to create a congenial atmosphere so that all the political parties can participate in the national polls. He accused the BNP-Jamaat Government of granting the militants immunity to carry out series of grenade attacks in the country without fear.

"The anti-liberation forces who tried to declare Bangladesh as a fundamentalist country by killing Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and four national leaders, are trying to kill Sheikh Hasina to fulfill their dream, But the people of Bangladesh will resist their ill motive with strong hands," Amu pointed out.

He announced that AL would punish the culprits severely when voted to power, as neither the BNP-Jamaat government nor the Caretaker Government brought the masterminds of the August 21 grenade attack under trial rather they were trying to keep the criminals behind the screen.

He also wished the people, injured in the grenade attack, early recovery.

AL Presidium Member Tofail Ahmed expressed doubts about the national election as per roadmap, as the Caretaker Government did not so far follow the roadmap either in political dialogue, registration of political parties or completion of voter list.

He was critical of several conditions in the ordinance for registration of the political parties.

He also warned the government not to create any situation that pushes back the national elections and not to enact any ordinance, which the people of the country would never accept.

Expressing solidarity with Amu he also said that it was clear that the BNP-Jamaat government was directly involved in the grenade attack. That is why the four-party alliance government staged Joy Mia and Partha drama to hide the rogues.

"Pintu, a BNP leader, could not have dared to mastermind such massive explosion and mayhem without a green signal from the policymakers of the BNP-Jamaat Government. So they should be brought to trial," Tofail added.

Another Presidium Member Begum Matia Chowdhury criticised the government's for not taking stern action against the fundamentalists, who created anarchy in front of the Baitul Mokarram mosque under the state of emergency.

She assured the victims of the grenade attack that the real culprits would be punished, if AL was voted to power under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina.

Ashrafunnessa Mosharaf, President of Bangladesh Mahila Awami League, presided over the meeting while Advocate Sahara Khatun, Law Secretary and Dr Dipu Moni, secretary Women Affairs of AL central committee, Advocate Kamrul Islam, Acting General Secretary of Dhaka City AL, among others, spoke.