AL to face Opposition politically Mass-contact, rallies after Eid

Reiterating the Awami League's strategy to face the BNP-led opposition politically, the ruling party high ups have asked the central and grassroots leaders to highlight government's various development activities to the mass people across the country.

Party insiders said the AL has decided to gear up further its grassroots leaders and activists through different programmes, like bringing out processions, holding of meetings and rallies at district and divisional headquarters after the Eid-ul-Fitr.

The high-command took the decision against the backdrop of BNP's frequent threats to launch vigorous movements against the incumbent grand alliance government after the Eid.

Meanwhile, the party has formally asked all its central as well as district leaders to counter the opposition propaganda against the government and the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina through properly projecting various development projects of the government based on its election pledges, said the insiders.

Talking to The New Nation, some key party leaders expressed their deep determination to oppose all possible anti-government movements of BNP and Jamaat with the help of countrymen.

"AL is an organization which has reached to this present stage through facing waging struggles in different difficult times since its inception under the leadership of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and later under the dynamic leadership of Sheikh Hasina," they said.

Continuing, the AL high ups said, "Our party leaders and activists have vast experiences of doing street politics. We are much more capable of facing any troublemakers as well."

In the recent development and subsequent arrests of BNP-Jamaat leaders, the AL high ups have directed the party leaders to keep close eyes on the opposition leaders and workers, particularly the Jamaat-Shibir activists across the country.

Sources said, apart from the actions of the law enforcers against the possible street agitation, the AL activists and their allies would also provide all-out cooperation to the members of law enforcing agencies.

They said the ruling party decision makers also asked all the district and upazila committees to prevent the outburst of any sort of movement by Jamaat leaders and activists demanding release of their bigwigs, detained earlier on charge of the 1971 war crimes against the humanity.

Meanwhile, a number of mosques, messes, dormitories and some identified areas of the country have been kept under special vigilance of the law enforcers as well as the AL leaders and activists.

Acting AL general secretary Mahabub-Ul- Alam Hanif told The New Nation that the party central leadership has been asked to convey the messages to common people through different political programmes, including holding of rallies, meetings and discussions, as part of winning people's support through highlighting the government's development activities government.

The AL leader said, "The ruling party, its grand alliance partners, associate bodies and other like-minded socio-cultural organisations will launch mass-contact through holding meetings, rallies and bringing out processions in the district and upazila headquarters with a view to focusing on some burning issues the nation after the holy Ramzan."

Hanif, also special assistant to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, alleged that the BNP and its allies have been propagating misleading campaign against Sheikh Hasina and her government in a bid to save the identified war criminals and patronisers of the killers of Bangabandhu.

About the opposition programmes, including possible long-march and other hartal-like tough street agitation, Hanif said the party grassroots would be further strengthened and revitalized at the Eid.

Asked whether any direction has been given to the party leaders and activists at the grassroots level about the conspiracy being done regarding the ongoing war crimes trial, he replied they (grassroots) have been asked to remain alert against any sorts of conspiracies.

AL central committee member Aminul Islam Amin said, "Grassroots will provide all-out cooperation to the members of the law enforcing agencies, including intelligences, if necessary, about the war criminals."

He said they have been asked to boost public support centering some burning issues, including Jamaat leaders' arrest, 21 August grenade attacks and the recent High Court's directives on constitutional amendments.

"The party leaders will highlight government's development programmes and to accelerate the movement for ongoing war criminals trial process," he added.

AL leader Advocate Afzal Hossain said, "The recent arrests of Jamaat leaders have already gained mass-people's faith and confidence. So we have to oversee the whole situation with utmost responsibilities and sincere efforts."