Hasina against polls under emergency
Saturday, 9 August 2008
Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina, now in the USA on interim bail, has instructed her party not to take part in general elections under the state of emergency, reports UNB.
"I am telling you, at the instruction of Sheikh Hasina, Awami League will not take part in the elections under the state of emergency," acting AL president Zillur Rahman told reporters after a meeting with several hundred members of newly floated Awami Torun League at his Gulshan house.
Mr Zillur Rahman said Awami League would not also join any elections before the parliamentary polls.
"If elections are held under the emergency, Awami League will not participate," he said, adding they would take appropriate steps at appropriate time.
The Awami League leader also protested devolving of magistracy powers to the army during the national elections. Army will be able to arrest any one under this power.
He said that people in rural areas were scared of the presence of army and if they were given the magistracy powers, voters would not turn up to election centres out of fear.
Mr Rahman demanded withdrawal of the magistracy powers from the army.
About 250 members of the Torun League met Zillur Rahman with demands for recognising August 15 as the National Mourning Day and a public holiday following the recent High Court judgement. The Torun League also demanded permanent bail to Hasina.
Awami League leaders Abdur Razzak, M Subed Ali Bhuiyan and Torun League General Secretary Mosleh Uddin Mahfuz were, among others, present at the meeting.
"I am telling you, at the instruction of Sheikh Hasina, Awami League will not take part in the elections under the state of emergency," acting AL president Zillur Rahman told reporters after a meeting with several hundred members of newly floated Awami Torun League at his Gulshan house.
Mr Zillur Rahman said Awami League would not also join any elections before the parliamentary polls.
"If elections are held under the emergency, Awami League will not participate," he said, adding they would take appropriate steps at appropriate time.
The Awami League leader also protested devolving of magistracy powers to the army during the national elections. Army will be able to arrest any one under this power.
He said that people in rural areas were scared of the presence of army and if they were given the magistracy powers, voters would not turn up to election centres out of fear.
Mr Rahman demanded withdrawal of the magistracy powers from the army.
About 250 members of the Torun League met Zillur Rahman with demands for recognising August 15 as the National Mourning Day and a public holiday following the recent High Court judgement. The Torun League also demanded permanent bail to Hasina.
Awami League leaders Abdur Razzak, M Subed Ali Bhuiyan and Torun League General Secretary Mosleh Uddin Mahfuz were, among others, present at the meeting.