AL observes countrywide hunger strike

Chittagong city Awami League stages a hunger strike at Muslim Hall yesterday demanding release of party President Sheikh Hasina.Photo: STAR

The Awami League (AL) yesterday observed countrywide token mass hunger strike, vowing to free its detained President Sheikh Hasina through more vigorous agitation programmes to be announced later.
The daylong event was the first ever agitation programme by a political party in 16 months since the promulgation of the state of emergency when all political offices remained closed due to the ban on political activities across the country.
Leaders and workers of the AL and its front organisations participated spontaneously in the programme from 10:00am to 4:00pm at the party offices at district, upazila and union levels, said AL leaders.
In a few districts where there are no offices of the party, the AL rented community centres and auditoriums and built daises to accommodate party men.
Senior leaders of the party visited different districts--also their first political visits since January 11, 2007--to accompany the local leaders and workers which created huge enthusiasm among the grassroots level party men.
The hunger strike programme had been announced at a meeting of the party's Central Working Committee on May 14 to press home their six-point charter of demands that include release of Hasina to ensure her participation in the dialogue and upcoming parliamentary election.
Addressing party men in different districts during the programme, senior AL leaders said they would neither join the upcoming political dialogue with the caretaker government nor take part in the parliamentary election unless Hasina is released.
The AL president has been detained since July 16 last year.
As the grassroots level leaders asked for announcement of tougher programmes to free Hasina, the central leadership directed them to remain prepared for any kind of programmes in the coming days.
The grassroots leaders also asked the senior AL leaders to keep the party united at any cost to realise the demand. In response, the senior leaders directed them to strengthen the organisational capacity for observing tougher agitation programmes.
AL leaders Amir Hossain Amu, Mukul Bose, Akhtaruzzaman and Latif Siddiqui joined the hunger strike in Gazipur, Abdur Razzak in Narayanganj, Tofail Ahmed, Motia Chowdhury and Abdul Mannan in Munshiganj, Suranjit Sengupta in Narsingdi, acting General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam and Asaduzzaman Noor in Savar, Saber Hossain Chowdhury in Mymensingh, Sherpur and Jamalpur, and Mahmudur Rahman Manna in Bogra.
"We have directed the party's grassroots level leaders to strengthen their organisational capacity for realising the demand for the release of our party chief Sheikh Hasina," said AL Organising Secretary Saber Hossain Chowdhury. He visited party leaders and workers at Trishal, Phoolpur and sadar upazilas of Mymensingh, and Sherpur and Jamalpur districts.
Talking to The Daily Star, Manna who visited Mahasthangarh, Shibganj, Mokamtala and Kichak in Bogra and Akhtaruzzaman who visited different spots in Gazipur said party workers spontaneously participated in the programme. They said they also directed the party leaders to remain prepared to observe vigorous agitation programmes to press home their demand.
Addressing hunger strikers in Munshiganj and Narayanganj, AL presidium members Razzak and Tofail said the party would not join the dialogue and the upcoming parliamentary election without Hasina while no dialogue would be meaningful without her.
Addressing party men at a community centre in Savar, Syed Ashraf said no election and dialogue would be held in the country without Hasina. He said the prices of essentials will not decrease and peace will not be restored without her intervention.
Asaduzzaman Noor said by arresting Hasina the government has tried to foil the upcoming parliamentary election.
AL leaders AKM Jahangir Hossain, Dr Hasan Mahmud and Mirza MA Jalil were also present in Savar.
Our correspondent in Chittagong reports: The AL observed the hunger strike in the city along with other districts in Chittagong division. AL Presidium member Ataur Rahman Khan Kaiser and former lawmaker MA Mannan, among other senior leaders, participated in the programmes organised at deferent spots in Chittagong division and urged the government to hand over power to an elected government through holding a free and fair election.
Our Khulna correspondent reported that hunger strike was observed at 12 spots in the city and at 40 unions of nine upazilas in the district. Former state minister and city AL President Talukder Abdul Khaleque participated in the programme.
Our Rajshahi University (RU) correspondent said the university unit of Bangladesh Chhatra League, student wing of the AL, observed the programme on the campus. Former RU vice-chancellor Prof Saidur Rahman Khan and AL leader AHM Khairuzzaman Liton joined the programme.
Our correspondents from Narayanganj, Manikganj, Sirajganj, Jhenidah, Munshiganj, Thakurgaon, Gaibandha, Pabna, Netrakona, Nilphamari, Kushtia and Mymensingh reported that the programme was observed at the district unit AL offices with participations of local AL leaders and workers.