The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

The Awami League and its allies look muddleheaded over the existence of grand alliance, as leaders are making contradictory statements about its existence.

AL acting president Zillur Rahman and general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam were found giving conflicting statements in reply to journalists' questions meant to get a clear idea about the grand alliance.

On the other hand, other members of the 14-party alliance do not want to recognise the existence of the grand alliance as a political platform based on specific programmes.

Ashraful Tuesday told reporters that the grand alliance would remain alive in the run up to the parliamentary polls.

He also said the Awami League-led grand alliance would seek greater unity for contesting the parliamentary elections and chances were there that the number of grand alliance partners might increase or decrease.

But when asked about the present condition of the grand alliance, acting AL president Zillur at his Gulshan residence said yesterday that "the grand alliance remains only as a proposal."

He further said the issue of the grand alliance would be settled after Sheikh Hasina returns home after her treatment in the United States.

Zillur said he had no idea if Jatiya Party chairman HM Ershad had any talks with Hasina about its partnership in the alliance, as claimed by Ershad Tuesday.

Ershad told reporters Tuesday that he almost regularly maintains contact with Hasina.

"Ershad can say better about this," Zillur said.

The 14-Party's two allies-Workers Party and Jatiya Samajtantric Dal (Inu)-have said the grand alliance does not exist anymore.

"I have no idea if there's anything like grand alliance. We're a partner in the 14-party alliance," Workers Party president Rashed Khan Menon told UNB yesterday.

"The so-called grand alliance was not a platform like the 14-party alliance. It was only part of an understanding with Jatiya Party for the previous election" that was scheduled to be held in January, 2007, he said.

After the cancellation of the January 22 election,

Menon said, the Awami League had dissolved the grand alliance through a press statement.

JSD president Inu, meanwhile, said the grand alliance was not formed on the basis of "specific political programmes".

He also echoed the statement by Menon that the grand alliance was formed only to fight in the previous election.

Menon and Inu seemed unhappy with Ashraful's statement that Islamic forces, which are anti-Jamaat and pro-liberation groups, would be included into the grand alliance.

"Any party, which is not non-communal and democratic, will not be our partners," Menon declared.

JSD president Inu said it was not the Awami League but the 14-party alliance would decide which party would join the alliance.

He urged the Awami League leaders to refrain from making any "final comment" before discussing it with other partners of the 14-party alliance.