প্রথম আলো: আমি এবার নতুন ভোটার, ভোট দিব। আমার মতো যারা নতুন ভোটার, তাদের আহ্বান জানাচ্ছি নৌকা মার্কায় ভোট দিন, দেশকে সোনার বাংলা হিসেবে গড়ে তুলুন।- এভাবেই নতুন ভোটারদের আকৃষ্ট করে ভোট চাইছেন রূপন্তি। শেখ রেহানার বড় মেয়ে রূপন্তি মা ও খালা শেখ হাসিনার সঙ্গে নির্বাচনী প্রচারে গিয়ে বিভিন্ন জনসভায় বক্তব্য দিতে গিয়ে এসব কথা বলছেন। তবে শেখ রেহানা প্রচারাভিযানে নামলেও কোনো বক্তব্য দেননি।
The leaders of the 14 party alliance yesterday vowed to revive the grand alliance combined with all the pro-liberation political parties for defeating the anti-liberation and communal forces in the upcoming parliamentary elections.
The top leaders of the alliance categorically said that they would work together under the banner of grand alliance to defeat the BNP-Jamaat alliance in December election by all means.
The ruling Awami League and its front organisations observed November 7 as the day of killing of freedom fighters. Bangabandhu Sangskritik Jote arranged a rally and formed a human chain in front of Awami League central office demanding trial of the killers of freedom fighters on November 7. Ministers of the government and party leaders took part in the programmes.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party secretary-general, Khandaker Delwar, alleged that the Awami League, not BNP, pursues the politics of killing freedom-fighters and opposition leaders. He said that the Awami League is attempting to commemorate November 7 as 'freedom-fighter killing day' to rob it of its real significance and thus make it meaningless.
The ruling Awami League has seldom consulted with its grand alliance partners for taking any decision although the parties pledged before the parliamentary polls to work in unison for good governance and a strong democracy.
Errant leaders of the Awami League and relatives of its lawmakers continue flexing their muscles for grabbing public and private property, tender manipulation and extortion in defiance of the party chief Sheikh Hasina’s instructions to stop such crimes.
Leaders and activists of the ruling Awami League must be given opportunities for doing business as a reward for their sacrifices for the party in its difficult times, a high-level meeting of the party was told on Saturday. The meeting, however, suggested that the party men should also show restraints, maintain discipline and abide by the laws of the land while seeking business opportunities, meeting sources said.
The organisational activities of the ruling Awami League remain almost stagnant although the party president, Sheikh Hasina, also the prime minister, has repeatedly called for strengthening the party at the grassroots level. At the AL central executive committee meeting on October 3, Hasina instructed the newly elected leaders to put in all their efforts to strengthen the party organisationally at the grassroots level to translate into reality its ‘charter for change’.
BNP secretary general Khondkar Delwar Hossain yesterday said that Awami League (AL) would never be able to assume power if people can rightly cast their votes. "You (AL) will never be able to come to power in future if free and fair elections are held and if people can freely vote for their candidates," he said at a protest rally in front of the party central office at Naya Paltan in the city.
The ruling Awami League has convened an emergency meeting of its newly constituted secretariat at party president Sheikh Hasina's political office at Dhanmondi at 10 am on Saturday (October 17) to discuss ways of gearing up party activities at the grassroots level.
