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Khaleda cancels Hasina visit amid protest

STAFF CORRESPONDENT
Prime Minister Khaleda Zia yesterday reportedly scrapped her planned visit to the Opposition Leader Sheikh Hasina at the latter's residence amid a strong surge of protests by several hundred opposition activists.
The visit was cancelled following signal from intelligence men stationed in front of the Sudha Sadan, sources said.
Top leaders of the main opposition termed the prime minister's probable visit a mockery and an attempt to distract people from the deadly grenade attacks on Sheikh Hasina and her rally.
On hearing news that prime minister was coming to see the Awami League chief to express her
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sympathy, opposition leaders and workers burst into protests at around noon. Within half an hour, the road in front of the Sudha Sadan was crowded with hundreds of opposition workers and leaders. Many of them lay on the street and set up roadblocks on all roads leading to Sudha Sadan at Dhanmondi Road No. 5.
They brought out a shroud procession and burnt Khaleda Zia's in effigy.
The angry demonstrators chanted slogans accusing the government of carrying out the Saturday's blasts that killed 18 and wounded over 200.
Demonstrations went on till 3:00pm.
Awami League General Secretary Abdul Jalil told The Daily Star that prime minister's political secretary phoned his counterpart and told him about the visit.
"But we have told them that it's not possible and she (Khaleda) will not be welcome here", Abdul Jalil told the newsmen in front of the Sudha Sadan.
"Prime minister wants to stagemanage a drama with intention of shifting people's attention from the grisly attacks elsewhere," Jalil added.
"The government didn't even give us the bodies for janaja and after all these, prime minister's wish to visit Sheikh Hasina is nothing but a mockery," he said.
Jalil said people want immediate resignation of the prime minister for her government's absolute failure.
Sheikh Hasina's Political Secretary Saber Hossain Chowdhury said a phone call from the Prime Minister's Office came Sunday night, but he (personally) didn't feel like letting stage a mere "photo session" in the name of offering sympathy.
"They (the government) didn't
give us bodies of the deceased for janaja. The police didn't take case from us. So what's left there of sympathy?" he questioned.
Security personnel closed all entrances to Sudha Sadan while sentinels were guarding the area.
A number of law enforcers were deployed in front of Mahbub Bhaban at Road no 5 that houses residences of prime minister's eldest son Tarique Rahman's father-in-law and Communications Minister Nazmul Huda.
The agitating partymen beat up a youth suspecting that he had been filming the demonstrations for intelligence agency. Police rescued the youth after a long scuffle with the demonstrators.
Earlier in the morning, Special Security Forces (SSF) personnel from Prime Minister's security apparatus recced the Sudha Sadan and adjoining area as a routine operation performed prior to any visit by the prime minister.
UNB adds: Prime minister's political secretary Harris Chowdhury has admitted to making contacts at different levels from Sunday night to arrange the prime minister's visit.
"We hope that a meeting between the prime minister and the leader of the opposition would ease the present situation and many other issues," he told the newsmen at his office yesterday afternoon.
Harris said the prime minister had tasked him with conveying her intent to see the opposition leader.
He said he had talked to Saber Hossain Chowdhury a number of times but to no response yet.
Harris said the efforts are on and he is still hopeful about getting a positive result.