The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The Acting President of Awami League (AL) Zillur Rahman yesterday threatened to launch tougher movement to ensure the unconditional release of party chief Sheikh Hasain,now in USA for treatment under parole, before Eid-ul-Fitr.

"The Government will have to free Sheikh Hasina before the Eid otherwise we will be compelled to wage a action programme, as we have no alternative option" Said Zillur.

Zillur Rahman said this while addressing the leaders and activists at a discussion meeting commemorating the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman organised by the Tungipara Association in Dhaka arranged the meeting at the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) auditorium with Sheikh Kabir Hossain, president of the samity, in the chair.

Zillur Rahman accused the government for engaging in a deep-rooted conspiracy to postpone the upcoming parliamentary election scheduled at the third week of December as per the roadmap announced by the government and Election Commission (EC).

Zillur questioned that why the governemnt and EC would not hold the parliamentary polls ahead of the upazila polls since they would have taken preparation to arrange elections in 300 upazilas. He expressed doubt over the government's motive behind their attempts to bring Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia to the negotiation table saying that it might be another conspiracy against AL. He highly criticised the governemnt for releasing the persons who were corruption champion.

"The Hawa Bhaban Hero (Tarique Rahman) and his mother Khaleda are now free. But the most innocent person, Sheikh Hasina, has not been released yet. How unfortunate the matter is!" he said.

Zillur also alleged that the government is trying to safeguard the real corrupts who were responsible for country's political crisis of 1/11.

AL presidium member Amir Hossain Amu feared that the anti-liberation forces have again planned to foil the parliamentary elections, as they want to bring back militancy and communalism in the country.

About the government's attempt to arrange a mneeting between Hasina and Khaleda in a table cross, Amu said unless Hasina is released permanently, she would not sit with the BNP chairperson.

Another AL presidium member Tofail Ahmed said after the enormous victory AL in the city

corporation and pourashava polls the BNP-Jamaat forces have started conspiring to foil the parliamentary polls, as the AL will certainly win the election.

Suranjit Sengupta urged the BNP and Jamaat leaders to admit their involvement in all the political killings, and apologize to the people to have a chance to sit with AL.

He was against the proposed meeting between Khaleda and Hasina, saying that such meetings in the past did not bear any fruit for the country.

AL Acting general Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam, Former President of Dhaka University Teachers' Association (DUTA) Prof. Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique, among others, also spoke.