Front Page
Bangabhaban blockade observed peacefully
By Staff Reporter
Thu, 30 Nov 2006, 20:56:00

The sit-in programme outside the Bangabhaban, the President's House, called by the Awami League-led 14-party combine ended peacefully yesterday.

Leaders of 14-party while addressing a number of road side rallies held at different entry points to the Bangabhaban, vowed to enforce non-stop siege programme across the country from Sunday if the Caretaker government does not implement their 11-point demand.

They also vowed to continue their action programme to resist any effort to hold the parliamentary election on January 21. The four-hour-long sit-in programme created huge traffic jam in the city causing untold sufferings to the city dwellers. Thousands of people had to go to their respective offices and business centres on foot due to acute traffic jams and barricades put up by police around the Bangabhaban.

The alliance enforced the sit-in near Dhaka Natya Mancha from 10:00am to compel President Iajuddin Ahmed to quit Chief Advisor's office what they said for creating a congenial atmosphere for peaceful elections. The government has taken tight security measures to maintain law and order during the sit-in programme. Hundreds of riot police were deployed surrounding the President House to fend off any flare-up.

The police and BDR tightened security and controlled the movement of people on the roads to the Bangabhaban to avert violence.

Addressing a rally at Gulistan intersection Awami League presidium member Tofael Ahmed said the 14-party alliance would not allow holding of any farcical election of Khaleda Zia.

He said a non-stop blockade would be enforced from Sunday if their 11-point demand not are met by the deadline.

Criticising Nobel laureate Dr Yunus' appeal to the 14-party alliance for calling off the blockade programme, Tofael Ahmed said without giving any suggestion for overcoming the prevailing crisis, he had prescribed participation in the "mock-show".

"Our blockade programme aims at creating a congenial atmosphere for the elections," he said.

Rashed Khan Menon said a conducive atmosphere through mere changes to the election schedule cannot be created for holding free and fair elections.

AL leader Mohammad Nasim said movement is the only alternative to remove President and Chief Adviser Prof Dr Iajuddin Ahmed.



© Copyright 2003 by ittefaq.com