AL won’t go easy on BNP in December
Saying that the Awami League would take control of the streets in December, the month of victory, AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader yesterday warned that the ruling party won't go easy on the BNP then.
He made the remarks at a "peace procession" organised by Dhaka north city AL in the capital's Badda in the afternoon.
"We are now going easy on the BNP. But this will not be the case in December. The final game will be played then," he said.
Quader, also road transport and bridges minister, said, "Games will be played against vote-rigging, corruption, looting and misrule [of the BNP]. Games will be fought against the killers of August 15 and also against the BNP, the mastermind of August 21 grenade attack."
The BNP has been holding rallies in the divisional cities protesting the price hike of essentials and fuel, recent killings of five party men in police firings, and also demanding release of its Chairperson Khaleda Zia.
Rallies have so far been held in Chattogram, Mymensingh, Khulna, Rangpur and Barishal. The rest of the rallies are scheduled for November 12, 19, 26, December 3 and 10 in Faridpur, Sylhet, Cumilla, Rajshahi and Dhaka.
Earlier, yesterday morning, Quader inaugurated the triennial council of Cumilla city AL on the Town Hall premises.
Speaking at the event, he said there were more people at the AL council in Cumilla than at the BNP's Barishal rally.
When he was addressing the programme, two AL factions clashed just a few yards away from the venue. Several crude bombs were exploded during the clash, said witnesses.
Cumilla city AL is split into two factions -- one is led by local lawmaker AKM Bahauddin, also the city AL president, and the other by Anjum Sultana, an MP from the reserved seats for women and also a senior vice-president of the city AL.
Yesterday's council was mainly dominated by Bahauddin and his supporters, said party sources.
In the afternoon, AL Presidium Member Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim was present at the council as chief guest. He announced names for the new leadership.
Bahauddin was made the president and Arfanul Haque Rifat, mayor of Cumilla City Corporation, was named general secretary.
Witnesses said a large procession of the AL, led by Anjum, reached the council venue area around noon.
Anjum said they found the venue's gate closed and they were barred from entering it.
"I contacted some central leaders over the phone. They assured me of looking into the matter.
"After some time, some people who were guarding the gate told me that only I would be allowed to enter. But I declined to do so," she told The Daily Star.
The AL leader alleged that Bahauddin's supporters attacked them when they were returning from near the venue, triggering a clash.
Denying the allegation, Abdullah Al Mahmud Shahid, a supporter of Bahauddin and also the convener of Cumilla City Jubo League, said Anjum's followers got angry after failing to enter the venue. "They created chaos and exploded crude bombs outside the venue."
Cumilla Superintendent of Police Abdul Mannan said two AL factions clashed near the venue. On information, police rushed to the area and brought the situation under control, he added.
Our Cumilla correspondent contributed to this report.
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