Unite to resist BNP-Jamaat

Awami League leaders yesterday vowed to resist the BNP and Jamaat, and urged the party activists to unite in order to bring the AL to power in the next parliamentary election.

The ruling party leaders were speaking at a huge rally organised on the occasion of the triennial council for Dhaka district AL, held in the city's Sher-E-Bangla Nagar area.

Obaidul Quader, AL general secretary and the chief guest at the event, said, "You will work for the party. Remember, no matter how many rallies they [BNP] hold, no one can defeat a united Awami League."

Although it was meant for the triennial council, the gathering apparently turned out to be one to counter the ongoing series of rallies by the BNP.

Thousands of people filled up the venue in a bid to flaunt AL's power and popularity at a time when the BNP has been alleging that the government has no acceptance among the people.

Carrying banners and festoons, and donning colourful T-shirts and caps, the AL activists came in droves from five Dhaka upazilas -- Savar, Dhamrai, Dohar, Nawabganj, and Keraniganj.

The event took on a special significance as Quader on Friday said the BNP would understand on Saturday "what a public gathering actually means".

"Get rid of the ghost of the caretaker government from your head. The High Court has sent it to the museum..."

— Obaidul Quader

The activists started gathering around the stage shaped like a boat – AL's electoral symbol -- since morning.

A huge number of buses were seen parked on the roads surrounding the venue.

Earlier on Friday, the AL at a meeting of its central working committee decided to remain on the streets.  It decided to hold six to seven mammoth rallies in Dhaka over the next two months to counter the BNP "generating heat" in the country's politics ahead of the next national election, slated for January 2024.

The BNP, on the other hand, announced it would hold rallies in 10 divisional cities to protest the ongoing power crisis, price hikes of daily essentials and the killing of five of its activists in police firing in Bhola, Narayanganj, Munshiganj and Jashore during anti-government protests.

The party plans to wrap up its divisional rallies through a huge gathering in Dhaka city on December 10.

In his speech, Quader said people will stand by the AL and resist the communal forces backed by the BNP.

He claimed AL's rally yesterday was much bigger than BNP's in Rangpur.

The minister also alleged that Mirza Fakhrul Alamgir, secretary general of the BNP, is receiving funds from foreign countries to launch movements against the government.

"We have received information that Fakhrul is receiving money from Dubai."

Pointing to BNP's main demand for the restoration of the caretaker government, Quader said, "Get rid of the ghost of the caretaker government from your head. The High Court has sent it to the museum. Time will tell whether you [BNP] will join the election.

"How many people attended the Rangpur rally? 50 to 60 thousand? Lakhs have gathered here at the Awami League rally."

He urged the BNP to hold rallies in a peaceful manner.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said, "We have been hearing for the last few days that they [BNP] will occupy Dhaka on December 10 and oust us. We even heard they formed a [shadow] cabinet. How could they do so?"

He added, "The huge gathering at our rally today proves we will form the next government."

Kamal then called for unity among all AL leaders and workers, saying, "We will walk together. We want to see Sheikh Hasina as the prime minister again."

Education Minister Dipu Moni, also AL's joint general secretary, said the "evil design to ruin peace and discipline" will be resisted.

"The people do not like anarchy. We will march forward to build a developed country by 2041 under Sheikh Hasina's leadership. The BNP is a party of murderers. We have to resist this evil force."

Bahauddin Nasim, AL joint general secretary, said, "When the country is marching forward, the BNP-Jamaat is trying to destroy it in the name of protests. They want to turn Bangladesh into Pakistan."

He also vowed to resist the BNP-led "evil and communal" forces.

NEWLY FORMED COMMITTEE

At the council, Benjir Ahmed, lawmaker from Dhaka-20 (Dhamrai), was made president of Dhaka district AL for the third consecutive time, while Paniruzzaman Tarun was made the general secretary.

Dhaka District AL triennial council was last held in September 2016.