The Awami League’s advisory council yesterday suggested holding the next parliamentary elections in time under an interim government headed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
It said if the main opposition BNP accepted Hasina as the head of the interim government, a dialogue could be held with the party, sources said.
The suggestions came at a meeting of the council held at Gano Bhaban chaired by party President Sheikh Hasina.
The advisory council recommended that the party leaders start putting maximum efforts for positive campaigns about the government’s achievements, targeting the next parliamentary polls.
It suggested using billboards across the country for the purpose as it had done in the capital city. It also asked party leaders to highlight the scenario of repression of party activists and religious minority after 2001.
The council members stressed the need for campaign against the religious propaganda of the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami and Hefazat-e-Islam against the Awami League and recommended bringing like-minded Islam-based political parties under the alliance’s fold.
Sources said council member Mohammad Zamir raised the issue of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s birthday and said when she was the PM and he was in the foreign service, he had seen September 5 as her birthday on passport.
A number of advisers said if the opposition chose destructive path in the name of agitation for restoration of the caretaker government system, the government should take hard line using the law enforcement agencies.
Briefing reporters later, party General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam lambasted the BNP leadership for celebrating Khaleda Zia’s birthday on August 15.
“We are always in favour of a dialogue. We do not want conflicts. But the opposition has to create the congenial atmosphere for holding the dialogue. Cutting cakes on the national mourning day will not create that situation,” he said.
He urged the BNP chief not to celebrate her “fake” birthday on August 15 to undermine the national mourning day
