AL to stay in streets for 150 days to counter BNP

The Bangladesh Awami League's Dhaka North unit has said its leaders and activists will be in the streets for the next 150 days of the approaching national elections. 

Speaking at a representative meeting at the Awami League office in the capital's Tejgaon on Sunday, Dhaka North Awami League President Sheikh Bazlur Rahman said, "We will be on the field for the next 150 days to counter the BNP."

He also said the BNP has brought back the era of "arson attacks". 

Dhaka North Awami League General Secretary SM Mannan Kochi said, "We will be in the field every day. Our next programme will be finalised after contacting the central office."

He thanked everyone at the meeting for stopping the "terror" of the BNP in Gabtoli and Uttara at short notice.

The Dhaka North Awami League was scheduled to hold a rally at the old trade fair grounds in Tejgaon today, the same day as the BNP's nationwide rallies. 

However, Sheikh Bazlur Rahman said the rally has been postponed due to "special reasons".

Earlier, the ruling Awami League cancelled the "peace rally" the party's Dhaka North and South units had announced to hold on Monday. 

Instead, the ruling party held sit-ins and brought out processions at the ward level in the city on Sunday. Similar programmes will be held today.

"The peace rally was scheduled to be held tomorrow (Monday) at Agargaon in the capital, but it has been cancelled since the old trade fair grounds are unfit for use. We have decided to hold protest marches and sit-in programmes at Thana levels instead on Sunday and Monday," Sheikh Bazlur Rahman told The Business Standard.

Meanwhile,  Krishak League, a ruling party affiliate organisation, held protest marches and rallies in front of AL's central office on Sunday.

At the programme, Krishak League President Sameer Chand said the old face of BNP Jamaat has re-emerged in the name of the movement. "They set fire to the buses, burnt the buses,  and cut the wrist of a Jubo League leader."

He also said that Bangladesh's farmers are in favour of development and do not want terrorism, militancy and anarchy in this country. "They want to see the farmer leader Sheikh Hasina as the Prime Minister again through free and fair elections." 

Meanwhile, Jubo League's Dhaka South unit held a protest march and peace rally in the capital on Sunday. 

The march started from Jatrabari intersection and circled various roads. After that, a peace rally was held at Jatrabari Park.

"Jubo League is enough to stop the misdeeds of BNP-Jamaat," Helal Uddin Helal, Jubo League's organising secretary said at the rally.

Jubo League Chairman Sheikh Fazle Shams Parash and Jubo League General Secretary Mainul Hossain Khan Nikhil directed their fellow party men to be in the streets and to remain there until the elections.