Awami League leaders yesterday blasted BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia as she directed party activists to continue the countrywide blockade during Ijtema.
Ijtema began yesterday, but the BNP remained stubborn about continuing the blockade as part of its anti-government protests.
An Awami League leader also called on the government to ban blockades.
“We have postponed our programmes to make sure that Ijtema is held without a hitch but the BNP chairperson did not call off the blockade, which proves that atheism is her trait,” Disaster Management and Relief Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya said while addressing an extended meeting of Awami League’s Dhaka city unit at the party’s Bangabandhu Avenue office.
The meeting was held to plan programmes to observe the Homecoming Day of Bangabandhu today.
“Because of the blockade, a host of devotees both in home and abroad could not join Ijtema,” said Maya, also the general secretary of Dhaka city unit.
He said neither the people of the country nor Islam was safe under the BNP chief’s leadership.
“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has rescheduled Awami League’s today’s rally at Suhrawardy Udyan for January 12. She sacrificed even though preparations have been taken for the rally for a month. But the BNP chairperson has created a situation where people could not join Ijtema for fear of violence,” said the minister.
“Go to hospital if you [Khaleda] are sick because Awami League wants to see you in good health. We will take the responsibility for your treatment, if necessary,” he added.
Speaking in the same programme, Food Minister Quamrul Islam said there would be no dialogue with the BNP with regard to Khaleda’s seven-point demand as it was in conflict with the constitution.
Holding mid-term elections and restoration of caretaker government system were among the seven-point demand.
“There will be no discussion with the BNP. Its demands are not aimed at restoring caretaker government system but having the graft cases against Khaleda and her son Tarique Rahman withdrawn. However, I want to categorically say that the lawsuits will not be withdrawn,” he said.
Meanwhile, addressing a discussion at Institution of Diploma Engineers, Awami League Advisory Committee member Suranjit Sengupta urged the government to ban blockades by introducing new laws.
“I call on the government to declare blockades illegal and undemocratic. Those who will impose blockades and those who will support such programmes should be punished severely,” he said.
Khaleda imposed the blockade after failing to observe the first anniversary of the tenth general elections on January 5 as the “Democracy Killing Day”.
The Awami League, however, described January 5 as the “Victory Day for Democracy”.
