Awami League (AL) yesterday called upon the BNP-Jamaat alliance to shun the path of fishing in troubled waters by indulging in conspiracy and the tactic of dilly-dallying, along with propaganda and vandalism, and accept the people’s verdict in the election to take part in the march towards democracy.
"We have been watching that the newly elected parliamentarians of the BNP-Jamaat alliance are fishing in troubled waters by not taking oath of office. Attempts to make the election controversial and dilly-dallying in taking oath, we believe, are the two sides of a coin," said Awami League spokesman Syed Ashraful Islam.
Addressing a press conference at Awami League president Sheikh Hasina’s political office at Dhanmondi a day before the Awami League-led government’s swearing-in ceremony, he urged BNP not to waste any more time and refrain from ‘terror activities’ and propaganda in order to take part in the march of democracy because "democracy and people’s poll verdict do not ensure permanent power for anybody".
He warned that stern action would be taken against those in the organisation who violated the instruction of Sheikh Hasina.
"We are making a special appeal to the caretaker government to arrest those, irrespective of their party affiliation, who are responsible for violating law and order by taking law in their hands. In this context, we also urge the law enforcing agencies not to harass innocent people. We want to say in unequivocal terms that after assumption of office, the people’s government would not hesitate to take action and would not consider party identity of miscreants whoever he/she might be," Syed Asahraf said.
The Awami League leader, however, disclosed a number of incidents of attacks and vandalism unleashed by "the activists of BNP-Jamaat alliance before and after the December 29 parliamentary election" that claimed many lives including Ghorashal Ward-3 AL leader Abdur Razzak under Palash upazila in Narsingdi district and inflicted injuries on his party leaders and workers, and members of the minority communities across the country.
He added that eight cases of attacks and vandalism were filed against the Awami League-led grand alliance workers by the BNP-Jamaat alliance over the past six days after election, but nine such cases were also filed against the BNP-Jamaat alliance activists by the Awami League-led grand alliance.
"Adopting the same old style of propaganda, the BNP-Jamaat alliance is blaming the Awami League for what it calls its repression, torture and misdeeds, although they killed 21,000 people during their regime between 2001 and 2006 and the people took revenge for the politics of killing and terrorism in the election branding them as terrorists, killers and criminals," Syed Ashraf said.
The AL leader said, "Awami League does not believe in the politics of revenge or vengeance, and for this reason we have despatched letters to every district unit of the party to play responsible roles maintaining discipline and showing restraint under any circumstances. And instructions have also been given that stern action would be taken against those who would be involved in the politics of vengeance."
Awami League central leaders Advocate Abdul Mannan Khan, Asaduzzaman Noor, Nuh-ul-Alam Lenin, BM Mozammel Huq, AFM Bahauddin Nasim, Iqbalur Rahim and Tanjim Ahmed Sohel Taj were present over there.