Alliance steams up 2yr celebration plan as partners grumble

"This is not a four-party coalition government…it's virtually run by two parties. Those in real power have a lot of interests in celebrations, but we have no stake in it," said a senior leader of the Islami Oikya Jote (IOJ), an affiliate of the alliance voted into office in October 2001.

Frontline leaders of another component, Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP), echoed the same grievances.

The IOJ and BJP apparently kept themselves distant from all preparations for the grand public rally at Paltan Maidan, which was scheduled at a meeting on October 1 with Prime Minister Khaleda Zia in the chair.

The alliance leaders at the meeting promised sincerity to make the rally a success, but a jolt rocked the programme plan over publication of a common poster of the alliance, as an IOJ splinter's demand for inclusion of its chief Fazlul Haq Amini's portrait on the poster was rejected.

The IOJ has recently split into two groups -- one led by Azizul Haq and the other by Amini -- the group that did not confirm its participation in the rally.

Since its inception, the alliance has published posters on common programmes with the portraits of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Matiur Rahman Nizami, IOJ Chairman Azizul Haq and BJP Chairman Naziur Rahman Manjur.

The BNP has now decided to publish a separate poster with the portraits of late president Ziaur Rahman and Khaleda and Jamaat also decided to bring out another poster with the portraits of four-party chiefs but did not include Amini.

The city BNP, tasked with organising the rally, will bear the spending of poster publication by the alliance leader.

Chiefs and secretaries general of the four parties will address the rally to be presided over by City BNP President and Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka and followed by a procession.

Khaleda will deliver an over-the-air speech to the nation on October 10.

The alliance will also hold rallies and bring out processions in all district and thana headquarters tomorrow.

BNP Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan in a statement yesterday urged all, including leaders and activists of the party and its different front organisations, to join the Paltan Maidan rally scheduled to start at 3:00pm.

He advised all units of the party to hold workers' meetings and processions and launch campaigns to make the programme a success.