Awami League (AL) general secretary Obaidul Quader said on Sunday hartal is no more a weapon for mass movement, report agencies.
"Gas price has been raised for cost adjustment. Even after that the government will have to give subsidy," he said.
The AL leader came up with the remarks while speaking at a press conference at the AL president's Dhanmondi political office in the city following a meeting of the party secretariat.
He said there was no reflection of the hartal called by left-leaning parties for Sunday in protest against the gas price hike.
"Everything was normal everywhere," he added.
Quader said: "We do realistic politics in people's interest. We don't do politics over vote issue."
Commenting on BNP's call for a movement to free the party's chairperson Khaleda Zia from jail, he said BNP could not wage any movement even for 10 minutes in the past 10 years and the party won't be able to do that in future too.
Whenever any court verdict goes against BNP, its leaders do not want to obey law, trial and verdict, he added.
Replying to a question, Quader said Al's national conference will be held in due time.
"We have necessary preparations for it." He added.
Quader said form will be distributed on July 21 for 'member collection campaign' of the party.
The key target of the campaign is to include persons who believe in the spirit of Liberation War, who were not involved in wrongdoings and those who worked for the party in the previous elections.
Talking about the AL rebel candidates of local government election, Quader said, "Punitive action will be taken against those involved in breaching party discipline, and a decision will be taken in this regard at its working committee meeting."
The meeting also discussed the month-long programme ahead of August 15, preparations for its next national council and others.
AL Joint general secretaries Mahbubul Alam Hanif, Dr Dipu Moni, Advocate Jahangir Kabir Nanak and Abdur Rahman and organising secretaries Ahmed Hossain, Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury and AKM Enamul Haque Shamim, among others, were present at the press conference.
