& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

AL, BNP out to grab election allies

SHAKHAWAT LlTON and Rashidul Hasan
The BNP-led four-party alliance has made moves to expand the coalition to contest the coming parliamentary election while the Awami League (AL)-led 14-party combine is also going for further expansion.
A number of senior leaders of the four-party alliance are now working to bring other parties into the fold in line with a recent decision, sources said.
In the wake of AL's efforts to revive the grand electoral alliance formed towards the end of 2006,
the four-party at a meeting with BNP chief Khaleda Zia in the chair on Tuesday decided in principle to further widen the combine.
Emerging from a meeting with Khaleda Zia yesterday, Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, former parliamentary affairs adviser to her (when she was premier) told reporters that efforts are on to expand the alliance. "Our parry leaders discussed the issue today,' he said.
He however avoided a reply when asked about parties to be invited to join thecoalition.
Talking to The Daily Star, a number of four-party leaders said
they contemplate communicating with Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Bikalpadhara Bangladesh (BDB) and some other smaller and Islamic parties, urging them to join the alliance.
BNP leaders said they believe the LDP and BDB will respond positively as dissident leaders of their party formed these two parties.
Contacted last night, Muhammad Kamaruzzaman, senior assistant secretary general of Jamaat-e-Islami, said National People's Party, Jatiya Ganotantrik Party and Muslim League have 15
Dhaka Friday September 19,2008 JL.
already expressed their willingness to join the coalition "We will welcome to the alliance any party that supports our programme *
Following a meeting with Khaleda at the residence of senior journalist Shafik Rehman, BNP leader Shah Moazzam Hossain said. ‘We urged her to expand the alliance bringing like-minded parties to a common platform.'
The BNP chairperson yesterday asked grassroots level leaders of the party to work unitedly to win the parliamentary election. Former lawmakers and grassroots leaders from Chittagong, Noakhali and Laxmipur met her at Shafik Rehman' s residence.
The four-party combine won a landslide victory in the parliamentary polls in 2001.
Ahead of the stalled ninth parliamentary election, which was scheduled for January 22 last year, the AL-led 14-party formed grand alliance bringng in Jatiya Party (Ershad).LDPandBDB
But the grand alliance became ineffective with the declaration of the state of emergency on January
11 last year, suspending the scheduled parliamentary polls.
Senior leaders of the AL and Jatiya Party are now working to revive the grand electoral alliance. On return of AL chief Sheikh Hasina from abroad, the move will get momentum, insiders of the parties said.
‘We are working on details for reviving the grand alliance. It would be finalised when Sheikh Hasina returns home,' acting Chairman of Jatiya Party Anisul Islam Mahmud said last night.
Asked about the move on Tuesday, AL acting General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam said one or two political parties have contacted the ALpresident.
“Leaders of some other parties have been in close contact with AL presidium members, and he himself has talked to a few," Ashraf said.
In the last parliamentary election. the BNP-led alliance obtained 47.05 percent of the total votes cast.
The AL alone obtained 40.13 percent of the votes with 62 seats. Jatiya Party secured 7.25 percent with 14 seats.