BNP to join Awami League council, says Alal

“We’re happy you [AL] have invited us. But, you neither attended our council nor phoned us to apologise as a courtesy for not being able to join our council,” he said. Speaking at a discussion, he further said: “But, we’re not narrow-minded as you are. We’ll prove on the Awami League’s council day that BNP is a liberal democratic party by joining it.” Jatiyatabadi Bondhu Dal, a pro-BNP platform, arranged the programme at the Jatiya Press Club in memory of BNP leader Hannan Shah who died recently. Awami League on Thursday invited BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and its Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir to participate in its council session today. Later, in a press briefing at the party office in Dhaka’s Naya Paltan area, Fakhrul told journalists that the party elders will decide whether they are going to attend the ruling party’s council or not. Alal criticised the government for deploying huge law enforcers near the council venue saying: “A question crosses through our mind whether it’s a council of RAB, police, and BGB... it seems that a government conference is going to be held where RAB Director General Benazir Ahmed will be made president and DMP commissioner Asaduzzaman Miah general secretary.” He also questioned as to why so many check posts have been set up when the council is supposed to be a festival where thousands of people will gather.