Get rid of ‘caretaker ghost’

The Awami League yesterday called upon the BNP to drop the demand for a polls-time caretaker government and reiterated that Sheikh Hasina will remain the prime minister during the election.

The AL, however, assured the opposition party that the next election will be free and fair and without intervention from the government. The general election will be held the same way polls take place in other democratic countries, it added.

The ruling party staged two separate rallies in the capital yesterday -- one at Mirpur-1 and another at the AL headquarters on Bangabandhu Avenue.

Besides, the Juba League held two programmes at Farmgate and Central Shaheed Minar and Chhatra League organised a rally at Shahbagh.

All these programmes were apparently to counter the sit-ins arranged by the BNP and 32 like-minded political parties in the city and other divisional headquarters to press home their 10-point demand that includes the national election under a non-partisan interim government.

The AL Dhaka city south unit organised the rally at its central office marking the homecoming day of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, but party insiders said it was part of a strategy.

The BNP's divisional rally in Dhaka on December 10 was "not a huge success" as the Awami League leaders and activists occupied the streets, added the insiders.

Keeping this in mind, the AL has chalked out strategies to keep the BNP under pressure and stay on the streets -- whenever the opposition party comes up with programmes, an AL presidium member told this newspaper, seeking anonymity.

Apart from the scheduled programmes, the ruling party men took positions and remained vigilant across the city.

Addressing the Mirpur rally arranged by the party's Dhaka north city unit, AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader urged the BNP to get rid of the ghost of the caretaker government demand.

"Sheikh Hasina will remain the Prime Minister during the election period. The government will not interfere in the polls," he added.

He also said if the BNP assumes power again, the spirit of the Liberation War will be destroyed.

Speaking at the rally, AL Joint General Secretary Hasan Mahmud said BNP will fail again like on December 10 if it tries to oust the government.