AL vows to thwart 'spying' on political parties
Tuesday, 19 August 2008
Awami League (AL) acting president Zillur Rahman said Monday that the party would thwart any alleged move by the caretaker government (CG) to spy on political parties through the political intelligence office recently launched to purge the country's politics, reports bdnews24.com.
"The government does not want politics in the country. The AL will resist the move," Zillur said at a meeting with Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) activists at his Gulshan home.
Leaders of the AL's student wing met him over the recent release of its general secretary Mahfuzul Haider Chowdhury Roton.
The PIO is a special detective outfit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) to keep an eye on grassroots activities of political parties, students and labour organisations, which started its activities two months back with 20 people, DMP chief Nayeem Ahmed said Sunday.
Asked if he believed the government would hold general elections in four months, in line with the Election Commission's (EC) December deadline, Zillur said, "It will be very difficult on the part of the government to stage the national elections in December in line with the roadmap."
"But there is no alternative to holding elections by the time. Since the government has been assuring of the polls every now and then. Let's see what happens," he said.
"The government's main job is to hold elections. But they are formulating different acts and holding other elections in a shift from their main job. We don't know whether it is their new conspiracy."
Zillur also commented on the threat of tough movement by their arch-rival BNP to secure the release of party chief Khaleda Zia.
"We are against all injustices. BNP is a political party, however, big or small, whether it has any moral or principle of its own. It is only natural that they will not sit idle."
Newly-elected Barisal mayor Shawkat Hossain Hiron and district AL leaders later met Zillur.
They complained to the acting party chief that some central leaders conspired during the city polls and asked him to act tough on them before the national elections.
"The government does not want politics in the country. The AL will resist the move," Zillur said at a meeting with Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) activists at his Gulshan home.
Leaders of the AL's student wing met him over the recent release of its general secretary Mahfuzul Haider Chowdhury Roton.
The PIO is a special detective outfit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) to keep an eye on grassroots activities of political parties, students and labour organisations, which started its activities two months back with 20 people, DMP chief Nayeem Ahmed said Sunday.
Asked if he believed the government would hold general elections in four months, in line with the Election Commission's (EC) December deadline, Zillur said, "It will be very difficult on the part of the government to stage the national elections in December in line with the roadmap."
"But there is no alternative to holding elections by the time. Since the government has been assuring of the polls every now and then. Let's see what happens," he said.
"The government's main job is to hold elections. But they are formulating different acts and holding other elections in a shift from their main job. We don't know whether it is their new conspiracy."
Zillur also commented on the threat of tough movement by their arch-rival BNP to secure the release of party chief Khaleda Zia.
"We are against all injustices. BNP is a political party, however, big or small, whether it has any moral or principle of its own. It is only natural that they will not sit idle."
Newly-elected Barisal mayor Shawkat Hossain Hiron and district AL leaders later met Zillur.
They complained to the acting party chief that some central leaders conspired during the city polls and asked him to act tough on them before the national elections.