Awami League sees no political crisis in Bangladesh, rejects Khaleda’s call

The Awami League has rejected BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s call for a political initiative to overcome the current crisis.

Amidst rising violence during a non-stop blockade called by the BNP, ruling Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbub-Ul Alam Hanif on Tuesday dismissed Khaleda’s speech at a press conference on Monday.

He said the country was facing ‘acts of terrorism' which would have to be tackled administratively.

After the police ‘siege’ of her office was lifted, Khaleda announced on Monday that the blockade would continue until further directives.

On the current situation, the BNP chairperson said it was not just a law and order problem but a ‘political crisis’. "I'm calling for a political solution to this political crisis," she added.

On Tuesday, Hanif responded to the speech at Awami League President Sheikh Hasina’s Dhanmondi office.

“The country’s political situation is not unnatural. A group is indulging in violent activities in planned manner to reduce the country to a failed state,” he said.

“Is bombing or burning people to death a political crisis? It cannot be part of politics. It is terrorism, and these terrorist acts will not be handled politically. The administration will handle it,” he added.

Advocating firm steps against the anarchists, Hanif said, “Militant politics has been raising its head in Bangladesh with the use of petrol bombs. France and Belgium have announced war against terrorism. If that war is justifiable, then the fight against terrorism and militant groups in our country is also just and logical.”

He blamed BNP leaders for the torching of vehicles and casualties in arson attacks.

“Bangladesh is being burnt by the flames of greed of the Zia family. No woman, man, child, doctor, student and law enforcer is spared their cruelty.”

“Khaleda Zia is taking revenge as people are not supporting her destructive politics,” the Awami League leader said.

About Khaleda’s staying in her office, he said, “[She is] burning people on the one hand, and on the other, is wintering in her Gulshan office.”

He said the meeting of the BNP leaders and the press conference on Monday proved that she had not been confined. “She staged a drama in the name of confinement. Our claim has been proved,” he said.

Khaleda had been stopped from leaving her office to join a rally on Jan 5, which she had designated as the ‘Murder of Democracy Day’.

Police had cordoned off the office and stopped vehicles from leaving or entering the street in front by parking brick and sand laden trucks.

The BNP chairperson had called for a non-stop blockade after being barred from joining the Jan 5 demonstration.

Late on Sunday night, police lifted the barricade in front of Khaleda’s office.