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AL undecided over polls with or without Hasina

Hasan Jahid Tusher
Awami League (AL) Presidium, the highest policy-making body of the party, is still not sure whether to take part in the election with or without its President Sheikh Hasina.
Sources in the AL said while one group wants to participate in the polls with an aim to assume power and free Hasina afterwards, the other stays opposed to contesting the long-stalled ninth parliamentary election with the former prime minister behind bars. The latter wants to get the AL chief freed first.
Till now, both the Presidium and AL Central Working Committee (ALCWO, the highest decisionmaking body, have been maintaining that they would go to the election under the leadership of a free Hasina. However, they have yet to decide on what they would do if she is not released before the election.
For the last few days, AL acting president Zillur Rahman has been saying that the party would not take part in any election without her.
A number of senior leaders think that it is still premature to take such a tough line and this sort of statement could undermine the electoral process.
"Such statements will only make him [Zillur] popular among the party workers, but won't benefit tire organisation," observed a senior leader, requesting anonymity.
A number of leaders said they do not yet know the party’s stance on Hasina and the election. They said they arc confused about which way th e AL is in fact head ing.
Most of them however believe the party should maintain a preelection stance since a decision to opt out of the polls could be taken even at the eleventh hour consider-inghow things turn out.
They said they would raise the issue at the ALCWC meeting scheduled for May 13.
The AL chief has recently said she would not quit politics on anyone's dictates, and that she would contest the next election defying all obstacles.
Earlier, she had instructed party colleagues to prepare for the election even without her so that the 'unelected ones' could not be in power for long.
Sources said some of the influential leaders meanwhile have been trying to mobilise support in favour of participation in the election, irrespective of whether or not she is released.
AL central leader Col (retd) Faruk Khan said, "I believe she [Hasina] would be freed soon to lead us to the election."
AL Organising Secretary Abdul Mannan told The Daily Star, "We want to take part in the election with her [Hasina] and we demand her unconditional release without delay."
"Voices in favour of no election without her are getting stronger," headded.
Talking to The Daily Star, Motia Chowdhury, a presidium member, said despite different opinions and ideas within the party, they would not face much of a problem reaching a consensus on the issue at the
ZILLUR'S BRIEFING
Zillur Rahman yesterday told reporters, "We won't allow any election without her. Time will come when we will take part in the polls under her leadership."
He was talking to reporters at his Gulshan residence after a viewexchange meeting with leaders of Motor Drivers' League.
He said for them the main issue to be discussed in the official dialogue with the government would be release of the AL chief.