AL shifts to polls gear
Two days after the Election Commission announced the election schedule, the Awami League's election preparation goes full-throttle.
At the first meeting of the Election Steering Committee for the upcoming polls, AL President Sheikh Hasina said her party leaders who aspire to be members of parliament must support whoever gets the party ticket eventually.
The AL chief, at the meeting held at the party's Dhaka district office in Tejgaon, also asked her colleagues to do whatever it takes to improve voter turnout, said sources at the meeting.
Hasina, also the chairman of the steering committee, asked AL leaders to unite and maintain discipline.
The AL formed 15 sub-committees for election preparation and made Kazi Zafar Ullah, a presidium member, the co-chairman of the steering committee.
During the last three general elections, HT Imam, a former bureaucrat, was the co-chairman of the steering committee.
Hasina will collect her nomination form from the AL headquarters on Bangabandhu Avenue this morning and officially launch the sale of nomination papers.
According to party sources, AL's election manifesto is almost finalised.
The AL will sit with its partners in the 14-party alliance to discuss how many parliament seats the AL allies will get, sources said.
AL's partners may settle for 18 seats, but they will demand a lot more in the beginning, they added. Currently, AL allies have eight representatives in parliament.
Leaders of AL's key alliance Workers Party met AL leaders yesterday and urged the AL to settle the seat-sharing issue as soon as possible.
In her introductory speech, Hasina urged the BNP and other parties to participate in the election.
"The BNP-Jamaat has committed crimes by killing and injuring people, damaging properties through arson attacks and setting vehicles on fire. We want them to apologise to the nation for their crimes, and then take part in the 12th national election," she said.
"Everyone should come and participate. The door is open for all."
She thanked the Election Commission for announcing the polls schedule defying the arson attacks.
Voting is a constitutional right of the people, she said, adding, "Those who have the courage, will run [for office]. If they have public support, they will get votes. The party elected by the people will form the government.
"Our goal has always been to ensure people's right to vote. The new government will be elected by the people's votes, not by the use of arms, and not in the dark of the night."
The BNP and its allies will not be able to stop the election, she said, adding that arsonists will not be forgiven.
A press release said nomination aspirants themselves or their representatives can collect and submit by 4:00pm November 21 the applications in person.
It can also be done online at: nomination.albd.org or a mobile app named Smart Nomination App.