Monday • February 06, 2006

Sheikh Hasina at post-long march rally warns govt of mass resignation if reform proposals not accepted; agitation on street will continue

Awami League to join parliament, place reform proposals: Sheikh Hasina

Leader of the Opposition in Parliament and Bangladesh Awami League President Sheikh Hasina at a grand rally in the capital yesterday announced that Awami League will return to parliament to place the proposals for reforms in the caretaker government and electoral systems.

"But if the government refuses to carry out the proposals to the letter, we will resign all together," Sheikh Hasina told the rally where people in their thousands gathered after a four-day long march towards Dhaka.

"The public has given its verdict in favour of our reform proposals and registered once again no-confidence in the Khaleda-Nizami regime by joining the long march," she said.

"Carrying with us the people's verdict, we will place the reform proposals in parliament to establish the people's right," Sheikh Hasina added.

Amid thunderous claps and slogans by thousands of demonstrators, Sheikh Hasina said, "The government has no alternative but to agree to implement the reforms in the caretaker government and Election Commission."

She reiterated that the 14-party opposition alliance will neither contest nor allow any election in the country before the reforms are brought about.

"Agitation on the streets for an end to the despotic rule of Khaleda-Nizami will run in parallel with the opposition lawmakers' attending the House to table the proposals," Sheikh Hasina said, calling a countrywide day-long hartal for February 15.

Marchers from different districts started to enter the capital through Gabtoli, Uttara, Sadarghat, Kamalapur, Syedabad and Jatrabari early in the morning amid police obstructions in places. They waved banners and chanted slogans like "let's go to Dhaka" and "no election without reforms".

People from different parts of the capital started joining the marchers at around noon. With small processions streaming into the rally venue, the historic Paltan Maidan was filled to overflowing with people by 2:00pm.

The long march began Thursday in places furthest from the capital. Over the next three days opposition supporters from the other parts joined the march that culminated into a huge gathering yesterday.

The government deployed around 8,000 security personnel including those of police, Rapid Action Battalion, BDR and Armed Police Battalion at all the entrances to the capital as well as in and around the rally ground.

SHEIKH HASINA'S SPEECH

Awami League President said despite all possible sorts of obstructions by the government, people from the four corners of the country flooded Dhaka to say 'no' to Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.

Sheikh Hasina said the lawmakers belonging to her party Awami League would join the Jatiya Sangsad, if required, to submit the 23-point demands of the people in the House that include reforms in the caretaker administration and the Election Commission (EC).

"Although we know well that it's a ploy of the Prime Minister to invite us to raise our 23-point demands in Parliament, we will go to the House to place our demands to implement them. If denied, we will tender resignation en masse. We will join the House side by side with continuing our movement for realisation of our demands for credible polls," she said.

The Awami League President said the unprecedented popular response to the 14-party combine sponsored four-day-long march towards Dhaka from every corner of Bangladesh proved once again that the people have expressed their no confidence in the BNP-Jamaat alliance government and conveyed their solidarity with the 23-point demands of the combined opposition for holding free, fair and credible elections after reforms in the electoral system.

Sheikh Hasina also announced a fresh course of action programme including a countrywide dawn-to-dusk hartal (shutdown) on February 15, the day noted for the farcical parliamentary polls on the same day in 1996, demonstrations across the country on February 8 in protest against mass arrests of opposition activists, the January 25 killing of 10 farmers at Kansat in Chapainawabganj district and spiralling of prices of essentials, and holding of grand rallies in Dinajpur town on February 25, in Chittagong city on March 1 and in Barisal city on March 6.

She alleged that defying the government's action of mass arrests of 10,000 activists, intimidation, terror-attacks and filing of false cases against the opposition workers, thousands of people from across the country had raised their united voice against the terrorist, corrupt, militancy-patronising and failed government by making the Long March programme a grand success.

"We the Awami Leaguers have always worked for the people's cause and their welfare. We are in a movement to establish your constitutional rights including franchise and that's the reason we have raised the 23-point demands for free, fair and neutral elections under a non-partisan caretaker administration. I want to know whether you have faith and trust in me in reaching the movement to its ultimate goal of ouster of the government," Sheikh Hasina said pointing at the human sea and they responded in affirmation by raising their hands.

Assuring her huge audience that she would not hesitate to shed her last drop of blood in the united movement for the people's cause in establishing their rights, she said, "If we are united again we could compel the government to concede to our reform proposals. Inshallah, we would ensure its ouster from power."

Sheikh Hasina said the people have become fed up with the alliance government for its mismanagement, miserable failures, politicisation of the three main organs of the state -- the administration, the judiciary and the legislature -- as well as the Election Commission.

"Resign immediately from power to pave the way for holding credible elections as the people don't want to see you and your alliance government any more in power," the Opposition Leader said pointing at the Prime Minister adding that days are not far away when the people of the country would try her for killings, persecutions and patronising the fanatic-militants.

During her speech, the Awami League President dwelt on various pertinent national issues including unabated terrorism, unbridled corruption, political persecution and killings, malpractice and misrule of the alliance government and emergence of violent militancy, skyrocketing of prices of essential commodities, lawlessness, politicisation, ineffective Parliament etc.

Raising question as to how an indisposed Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Justice MA Aziz could hold his office, she said holding of credible election under the partisan CEC and the would-be Chief Adviser of the caretaker government Justice KM Hasan would be a far cry in the country.

"The combined opposition can't participate in the polls under their supervision and the people of Bangladesh will not allow anybody to arrange farcical elections like that of February 15 of 1996," she said calling upon the people to reach the ongoing movement against the looters of public money to every nook and cranny of Bangladesh for establishing their fundamental rights for food and franchise.

Pointing at the persons in the administration and the law enforcing agencies, the Opposition Leader said, "Time is ripe now to decide which side you would take, the side of the plunderers of public money or the side of the people and serve them as you are the employees of the state not of the alliance government and your salaries are met by the people."

Sheikh Hasina said there are two different trends in the country's politics, one is the politics of corruption, terrorism, fanatic-militancy and anti-liberation ideas, and the other is based on the spirit of the Liberation War for people's welfare to glorify the country's image at home and abroad.

"Their politics is based on looting, terrorism and Moududism as they don't believe in true Islam and the spirit of the independence, while we nurture the politics of balanced development of all sectors ensuring people fundamental and human rights, establishment of the spirit of independence, peace, security, tolerance and harmony in society denouncing fanaticism and terrorism," the Opposition Leader said urging the people to apply their judgement to choose which side would be better for their welfare and the nation.

"The Prime Minister should come and see the human sea at Paltan. You have failed to stop the streams of people despite repression and obstruction by your police administration and party cadres," she told the slogan-shouting marchers.

"People must take account of how much money the PM's family has looted…How the country's image could be protected when the PM's son siphons off money abroad and is caught," she said, without furnishing evidence thereof.

Sheikh Hasina asked the people to prepare comparative papers on property and bank balance owned by BNP leaders in districts, thanas and villages. "How much they had in 2001 and gained in 2006?" she asked. "All this money belongs to the people. They must give account of this money to the people."

She alleged that Bangladesh is now painted as a country of human rights violation, killing of journalists, corruption and militancy under the alliance rule. "In this circumstance, how the nation's image could be upheld abroad?"

Bringing charge of harbouring JMB militants against Khaleda Zia, the opposition leader questioned how Shaikh Abdur Rahman and Bangla Bhai would be caught when they are given bridal hospitality.

"When foreigners come here, they play the game of arrest…the main switch is in the hands of Khaleda. All attacks are launched on her instruction," she said.

Opposition calls hartal for February 15

The Awami League (AL) led 14-party opposition alliance will observe countrywide dawn-to-dusk hartal on February 15 demanding uninterrupted power supply and reduction of the prices of fertiliser and fuel.

The 6am to 6pm hartal will also coincide with the day of controversial sixth parliamentary elections in 1996 that was held amid boycott of the major political parties except then ruling BNP.

Leader of the Opposition and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina announced the month-long agitation programme as part of the opposition's ongoing movement to force the BNP-Jamaat-led coalition to meet the demands of reforms in the caretaker government and Election Commission and resignation of the coalition government.

She announced countrywide demonstrations in district and upazila headquarters on February 8 to protest obstructions and attacks on the long march. Grand rallies will be held in Dinajpur on February 25, in Chittagong on March 1 and in Barisal on March 6.

Top leaders of the 14-party opposition alliance, that also includes left leaning 11-party, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) and National Awami Party (NAP), took the fresh agitation programmes at a meeting presided over by Sheikh Hasina at her Sudha Sadan residence in the morning yesterday.

At the opposition alliance's mammoth gathering at Paltan Maidan in the afternoon, the Awami League President gave a 24-hour ultimatum to the government, warning of tough programmes if those who were arrested in a few days ahead of the Paltan rally are not released.

WHAT OTHER LEADERS SAID

In reference to a recent statement by the prime minister, Awami League General Secretary and 14-party co-ordinator Abdul Jalil said, "People won't give you a chance to materialise your blueprint for grabbing power."

Gono Forum President Dr Kamal Hossain said, "Now is the time to say goodbye to this government. Turn this unity into a sheer force that will oust this tyrant government." He said the people would not stand any election engineering.

Workers Party President Rashed Khan Menon said ouster of the present government is now a matter of time and the countrymen will never allow it any opportunity to return to power.

JSD President Hasanul Haq Inu asked the government to quit, admitting its failure to deliver.

Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, Abdur Razzak MP, Tofail Ahmed, Suranjit Sengupta MP, Begum Motia Chowdhury, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim MP, Mohammad Nasim MP, Obaidul Quader, Mohammad Hanif, Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya of Awami League, Chittagong and Sylhet mayors ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury, Badruddin Ahmed Kamran, Saifuddin Ahmed Manik of Gono Forum, Bimal Biswas of the Workers Party, Nurul Islam of Gonotantri Party and Dilip Barua of Samyabadi Dal, among others, spoke at the rally.

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