A grand rally was held at Paltan Maidan in the capital today by the Awami League (AL)-led Grand alliance to announce its next course of agitation programmes to press home its demands for a free and fair election and the resignation of President Iajuddin Ahmed from the post of chief adviser to the caretaker government (CG). AL President Sheikh Hasina is expected to announce fresh agitation programmes including non-stop blockade and hartals with an aim to resist the holding of January 22 elections which the grand alliance has boycotted. The agitation programmes might include laying siege to the Election Commission (EC) and the Bangabhaban on January 14 and 15, 72-hour non-stop blockade from January 16 and non-stop countrywide hartal from January 20 to the polling day.
Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad, Liberal Democratic Party President AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury, Workers' Party President Rashed Khan Menon, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal President Hasanul Haque Inu and Zaker Party Chairman Mostafa Amir Faisal will address the rally. The grand alliance will also stage countrywide demonstrations tomorrow to protest the police atrocities on its workers and leaders including Tofail Ahmed, Rashed Khan Menon, Nurul Islam and Dilip Barua and the wholesale arrest by the law enforcers ahead and during the 72-hour blockade. The alliance held a meeting yesterday at AL's Dhanmondi office with AL Presidium Member Amir Hossain Amu in the chair to review the latest political developments. Following the meeting AL General Secretary Abdul Jalil told journalists that they would not allow the holding of any polls under Iajuddin Ahmed and strongly criticised the law enforcers' attack on their leaders and activists during yesterday's blockade. He said the law enforcers are suppressing the grand alliance leaders and workers in their desperate attempt to bring back the conspirators (BNP-Jamaat) back to power.
AL Joint General Secretary Obaidul Quader at another press briefing clarified the BNP's statement over AL chief's April 12, 2001 parliamentary speech on holding the elections within the 90-day time limit. He said the situation of 2001 elections and the situation of 2007 are not the same, there is no error-free voter list, the CG, EC and the administration are not neutral to hold a free and fair election.
