BNP must sit in JS to place its demand

Ruling Awami League (AL) yesterday said opposition BNP would not be able to achieve anything on the caretaker government issue unless it sits for discussion in parliament with AL to realise its demand.
“Please join parliament for discussion. There will be all out support from us,” AL Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif said at a press conference at AL President Sheikh Hasina's political office in Dhanmondi.
He also urged BNP not to mislead the people with false information on constitution amendments and go for any programmes like hartal that hampers public life. People have rejected the 36-hour hartal enforced by BNP and Jamaat, he said.
Replying to a query, he said no violation of human rights occurred due to punishments given by the mobile court during the hartal.
On BNP's threat to enforce more hartal, he said no such situation has been created in the country for which the opposition should go for longer-period hartal.
On Home Minister Shahara Khatun's comment that AL would not call hartal if it becomes the opposition in future, Hanif, also a special assistant to prime minister, said it was Shahara's own view, not the party's.
AL leaders Ahmed Hossain, Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, Mrinal Kanti Das, Abu Sayeed Al Mahmud Swapan, Habibur Rahman Siraj, Faridunnahar Laily, Aminul Islam and Sujit Roy Nandi, among others, were present at the press briefing.