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BNP defers Saturday's rallies to avoid clash

Staff Correspondent
The ruling coalition leader BNP has deferred its countrywide programme of rallies protesting bomb attacks from Saturday to Monday to avoid possible confrontation with tomorrow’s countrywide dawn-to-dusk hartal called by the combined opposition.
Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia put off the programme at the request of a 27-member delegation of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) that called on her
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at her office yesterday afternoon to discuss the country's prevailing situation.
Relaying the PM's decision at a hurriedly called press briefing BNP Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan said, "We called the rally to protest bomb attacks and anarchy, but are changing the schedule to avoid a possible clash or confrontation with the opposition. When we had announced the programme on Tuesday there was no opposition programme for Saturday. But, despite knowing our programme schedule, the opposition has called the hartal on Saturday."
The venue and time of the BNP rally in the capital at Muktangon on Monday afternoon will remain unchanged, he added.
Bhuiyan, also the minister for LGRD and Co-operatives, said the FBCCI delegation requested the PM to withdraw the programme with a view to bring the opposition to a dialogue to end political confrontation and unite against bomb attacks.
While making the request, the FBCCI delegation led by its President Abdul Awal Mintoo told the prime minister the country's business community wants to carry out business and recover from the worst-ever floods experienced, and wishes not to see any 'confrontation'.
As the worried business leaders said there should not be recurrence of such bombing incident, the prime minister observed that such bombings are not the deeds of those who want progress in economic, social and other sectors of the country. She sought assistance of all, including the political parties as well as individuals, in putting an end to such destructive acts.
Khaleda also urged all to assist the law enforcing and intelligence agencies in unveiling the mystery and assured of intensifying security system.
Referring to hartals, the PM said the political parties should also exercise their prudence in chalking out political programmes.
The business leaders appreciated her sincere initiatives following the August 21 attack on AL meeting, including her wish to meet the opposition leader, going to see the injured Ivy Rahman at the Combined Medical Hospital, the formation of investigation commission and sending letter to AL President Sheikh Hasina.
The FBCCI directors observed that those who are demanding resignation of the government actually want to hinder the investigation process.
"This might shaken the confidence of the people in the political parties," leaders of the country's apex trade body pointed out.
They termed the steps of the prime minister as examples of underpinning democratic process and hoped that these would bring new dimension in
politics of the country.
PRESS BRIEFING
Addressing the newsmen at the press briefing, Mannan Bhuiyan said, "We now need greater unity to resist bomb attacks, violence and anarchy. The hartals, campus strikes etc will only add to people's suffering. So, we request the opposition to sit with us to build a greater national unity against all evil designs."
The LGRD minister claimed the government is serious to curb bomb attacks, violence and anarchy, and is determined to net the criminals involved in the August-21 attack on Awami League rally.
He said the government has not only condemned the barbaric attack but also formed a judicial inquiry committee comprising a senior serving judge of the High Court, and ordered all law enforcing and intelligence agencies to investigate the incident and arrest the criminals.
Bhuiyan said bomb attacks took place during both the regimes of AL and the four-party alliance. "Our government is trying its best to stop such heinous incidents. But to do that we need united efforts by the government, opposition and conscious citizens," he noted.
He regretted that, though the prime minister sincerely wanted to meet the opposition leader to console her as well as work together to end such attacks, unfortunately the opposition did not allow it. "They did not even allow to hand over the condolence message written by the prime minister and adopted by a cabinet meeting," Bhuiyan said.
"We initiated an move for unity, but the opposition clearly seems to obstruct the move. But, we are still optimistic that the opposition will come around and sit in a discussion for the sake of greater national interest to resolve all problems, specially to bring an end to such bomb attacks," the BNP secretary general added.
On the failure of law enforcing and intelligence agencies to detect the perpetrators of the attacks, he said a high-powered committee is working to reorganise and reform those agencies.
On accepting technical assistance from foreign countries to investigate into the bomb attacks, he said the government would accept it if necessary. In this context he cited that the government had allowed the Scotland Yard to investigate the bomb attack on the British high commissioner.
BNP Joint Secretary General Tareque Rahman, Dhaka City Corporation Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka, Housing and Public Works Minister Mirza Abbas, Whip Ashraf Hossain and BNP central leaders Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Zahiruddin Swapan MP, Mofiqul Hasan Tripty and Syed Emran Saleh Prince were present in the briefing.