AL to warm up for Mar 12

Activists of ruling Awami League, its associate bodies and like-minded organisations will take measures in the capital from early tomorrow to thwart any chaos by the main opposition BNP in the name of grand rally.
The AL-led 14-paty alliance will also form an hour-long human chain at 4:00pm today from Gabtali to Jatrabari apparently as a showdown ahead of BNP's grand rally.
The human chain is to press home the demands for immediate trial of war criminals and to resist any plot to foil it.
Prime Minister and AL President Sheikh Hasina yesterday at Gono Bhaban sat with her close associates, including Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury and Matia Chowdhury, to discuss measures for thwarting possible chaos.
“We will help the opposition if it follows democratic norms. But the government will not sit idle if they [BNP] resort to violence or harm people and their property,” said Matia, agriculture minister and AL presidium member.
She said the ruling party men would help law enforcers maintain peace in the capital.
Sources in the party said the AL high command had already directed all its lawmakers in the capital and some adjacent districts to be ready to act in case of any untoward incident.
“We will remain stand-by in all lanes and by-lanes of our constituencies,” said a lawmaker from Dhaka preferring anonymity.
Highly placed government sources said the measures by the ruling party alongside that of the law enforcers have been taken to deal with the opposition men if they go for an indefinite sit-in in the capital.
Bangladesh Chhatra League, a pro-AL student body, has been asked to take the highest cautionary measures in all educational institutions, said sources.
Asked why the government and the ruling party are taking these measures, Matia said BNP resorted to violence in the name of a reception to freedom fighters on December 18 last year.
“We will take our own preparation so that BNP cannot repeat it. These measures would have been needless if the opposition did not go for violence and try to stage indefinite sit-in in the capital that day,” she said, adding that before that December 18, the country's political atmosphere was normal.
On AL men taking position in lanes and by-lanes, Matia said, “Isn't it the right of the ruling party activists to keep the opposition men from exploding bombs here and there?”
AL Joint Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif alleged that the opposition's grand rally was aimed at saving war criminals and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's two corrupt sons Tarique Rahman and Arafat Rahman Koko.
According to him, possibilities were rife that BNP would create chaos in the name of grand rally. The government should consider imposing ban on BNP programmes to save people's lives and property, said Hanif.