AL to face hartal 'politically'
The Awami League has decided to tackle the opposition's 36-hour hartal politically and its government is to go tough on any violence during hartal.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has directed her party's lawmakers to tackle opposition's attempt to destabilise the country. She also directed the home ministry to take tough actions if anyone tries to resort to violence in the name of hartal, government sources said.
At a meeting of the Awami League Parliamentary Party Wednesday she told her lawmakers that BNP and its allies would go for more hartals over the caretaker government issue.
She asked them to make people of their constituencies aware of the government stance on the caretaker government system, the constitution amendments and hartals.
In the meeting Hasina, also president of the Awami League, distributed copies of her June-5 press conference speech clarifying the government's position on the outstanding issues. She asked the lawmakers to drum up support for the government initiatives.
We will build public opinion against hartal and if they [the opposition parties] resort to violence, the law will take its own course, Awami League presidium member Obaidul Quader told The Daily Star.
The BNP and its ally Jamaat-e-Islami yesterday simultaneously called for a countrywide 36-hour hartal from tomorrow morning demanding continuation of the caretaker government system and protesting a 51-point recommendations made by the parliamentary special committee on constitutional amendment.
Urging BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia to call off the hartal and return to parliament to discuss their proposals on the caretaker government system and constitution amendments, Obaidul said there is still time to do so.
He also suggested that the opposition leader go for a peaceful march instead of a hartal, which paralyses the country's economy and the development activities.
Awami League Organising Secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim told The Daily Star that his party would not take to the street to prevent the hartal being enforced but people, who are the victims of hartals, would resist it. He claimed the opposition parties called for the hartal to hinder the trial of war criminals.
People will reject criminal activities in the name of hartal. We along with the people will resist this kind of acts politically, Jatiya Party presidium member Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu told The Daily Star echoing Bahauddin.
Meanwhile, Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) and Bangladesh Insurance Association urged BNP and its allies to call off the hartal.
