Chief_Adviser
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Registration date : 2008-06-10
 |  Subject: Awami League allies censure iftar attendance with Jamaat..............  Sun Sep 07, 2008 3:33 pm | |
|  Awami League's allies have expressed disapproval over the party's attendance of an iftar gathering at the Saudi envoy's residence alongside Jamaat-e-Islami, accusing AL of "breaching an understanding".
Workers Party of Bangladesh president Rashed Khan Menon said war criminals should be boycotted socially and politically.
Acting AL general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam told Sunday: "The Awami League holds its previous position on the stance of war criminals. We want that war criminals should be tried and barred from contesting in the elections."
AL's policy makers faced a barrage of questions after they attended the iftar party of the Saudi ambassador on Friday alongside Jamaat-e-Islami leaders.
Members of the 14-party alliance said AL should not attend any religious programme with Jamaat-e-Islami.
WPB, Ganatantri Party and Samyabadi Dal (ML) leaders spoke to reporters Sunday after separate meetings at the house of acting AL president Zillur Rahman ahead of their third round dialogue sessions with the Election Commission.
Rashed Khan Menon told reporters after the meeting: "We do not want to create any confusion, such incidents cause unwanted questions."
"The war criminals should be boycotted socially and politically," he said.
On whether war criminals should be boycotted at religious functions, he said: "We don't want to hurt religious sentiment. But we want to say that war criminals must be boycotted in every sphere."
On Sunday's meeting with AL, he said: "The two parties have agreed on the announcement of the schedule for national elections immediately, withdrawal of the state of emergency, holding national elections prior to all and barring war criminals from contesting from elections."
"The government wants to maintain the present controlled situation. We have discussed how the country can be brought back to the previous track."
Ganatantri Party president Nurul Islam told reporters that his party agreed with the AL on a number of issues including the priority of national elections.
"We will not join any elections prior to parliamentary elections," he said.
The 14-party alliance will resist if any attempt is made to foil the elections," Islam said.
Terming AL's participation at the iftar party with Jamaat leaders "unfortunate", he said: "AL has breached the alliance decision on Jamaat-e-Islami."
Samyabadi Dal general secretary Dilip Barua said: "Awami League has broken a gentlemen's agreement."
"We have an agreement that the 14-party alliance will not join any programme with war criminals, even diplomatic ones" he said.
On the photograph published of Zillur Rahman shaking hands with Jamaat-e-Islami chief Motiur Rahman Nizami, he said: "Jamaat-e-Islami will use the photograph in the upcoming elections."
Awami League was scheduled to hold a formal press briefing after its meetings with the alliance parties, but AL leaders left without speaking to reporters.
Ashraful Islam spoke briefly when contacted later, and said the party would hold its briefing after meetings with other alliance members, including National Awami Party, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal and Gono Azadi League, on Monday. | |
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