AL wings asked to get ready for agitation early next year

Awami League (AL) might go for agitation in January 2008 demanding release of its detained party president Sheikh Hasina prior to the next parliamentary elections.
The AL front organisations, including Jubo League, have been planning to launch agitation before AL starts the movement.
They are also thinking about launching an united movement with the front organisations of BNP if necessary, sources said adding that the leaders and workers of both the parties' front organisations have already come close to each other in this regard.
"As per the senior leaders' direction, we have already instructed our leaders and workers across the country to be prepared for the movement to be launched next month," Jubo League General Secretary Mirza Azam told The Daily Star over telephone.
The AL high-ups will emphasise on lifting the state of emergency as well as initiating the process of holding a fair poll by the end of 2008.
"In January next year, we will ask the government to establish full constitutional rule, restore secular democracy, to hold a free and fair election for handover of power in peaceful process, and release Sheikh Hasina, among others," AL Presidium member Suranjit Sengupta said while talking to The Daily Star.
They would also ask the government to lift the emergency prior to the local government polls, he said adding that they expect the government's commitment towards holding a free and fair election would start to show from January.
Sources said that the AL high-ups would observe the government action following their demands and will then decide about their next course of action.
At the moment, many senior leaders are against any kind of agitation to press home their demands fearing negative consequences like that of the movements in the past.
"What have we achieved after five years' movements during the four-party coalition government?" a senior AL leader said adding, "If we have to go for agitation, then we will have to think about it very carefully."
Talking to The Daily Star, a number of AL leaders said that the release of Hasina prior to parliamentary elections would be at the top of their agenda next year.
The party is divided into two factions over the issue, party insiders said.
While one group is for boycotting election before Hasina's release, the other faction think that they would have to contest the polls so that they can come to power and get the party president released.
The party high-ups, however, will maintain a moderate position regarding the issue as well as the movement, sources added.
"Our main demand is holding of a free and fair election. But to make it so, Sheikh Hasina have to be released," AL Organising Secretary Mahmudur Rahman Manna told The Daily Star.