Awami League General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam yesterday said the Dhaka march programme by the opposition was a complete failure.
“Where is the Long March? We have not seen any march,” Ashraf wondered claiming that countrymen had rejected the “March for Democracy” programme called by Khaleda Zia.
He claimed the government had not obstructed movement of vehicles. “The traffic movement was very much normal all over the country.”
Ashraf, also the LGRD minister of election-time interim government, was speaking at a party press conference at the party chief Sheikh Hasina’s political office at Dhanmondi.
Referring to the BNP he said the party that was born in the cantonment could not hold a programme like “March for Democracy”.
People as well as BNP activists did not respond to Khaleda Zia’s call meaning that people are not with her, Ashraf said.
The rally was scheduled for 10am but she (Khaleda Zia) came out of her house at 3pm, he went on saying that a section of media made banner headlines on the Dhaka march programme but nothing has happened.
Ashraf blasted Khaleda Zia’s behaviour with law enforcers: “Despite a responsible political leader and former prime minister she should not behaved like that.”
Explaining the incident on the Supreme Court premises he said the court went into winter vacation. The lawyers demonstrating there were not lawyers. Lieutenant general (Rted) Mahbubur Rahman, Altab Hossain Chowdhury and Osman Faruque led the agitation who are not lawyers. He alleged that Juba Dal, Chattra
Dal and Jamaat-Sibir men sporting uniform of lawyers attended the demonstration.
AL Presidium Member Obaidul Quader, Joint Secretary Dipu Moni, Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Organising Secretary Abu Syed AL Mahmud Khokhon, BM Mozammel Haque, Hasan Mahmud, Habubur Rahman Siraj, among others, were present at the press conferences.