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EC warns AL

Commuters suffer for Hasina's reception

Staff Correspondent
Severe traffic congestion disrupted city life yesterday as Awami League (AL) mustered thousands of its supporters to line city streets from Zia International Airport (ZIA) to Dhanmondi to welcome Sheikh Hasina home.
Public sufferings knew no bounds as movement on the streets was brought to a virtual standstill, particularly during the morning hours due to traffic jams on the roads that lasted way past noon.
The Election Commission (EC) meanwhile requested AI.yesterday to refrain from holding any programmes like the reception accorded to Sheikh Hasina on the roads as it violates the election codes of conduct.
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Commuters, particularly office goers and school children and their guardians were the worst sufferers as AL supporters started gathering at different spots and lined up the route through which Hasina was to return from the airport on her way to her Dhanmondi residence.
The gatherings began across the city from around 7:00 am.
Till Hasina reached her Sudha Sadan home at Dhanmondi at around 12:15pm, vehicles including buses, cars, auto-rickshaws remained standstill on most of the city roads causing several kilometres oftailbacks.
The connecting roads also witnessed severe traffic gridlock during the time.
City's Bijoy Sarani, Mirpur Road stretching between Science Laboratory to Kalyanpur, Farm gate, Banglamotor, Shahbagh, Gulistan, Paltan and Motijheel areas were clogged by Awami League supporters.
Many office goers and students were seen walking along footpaths to reach their destinations. Guardians with school children were seen desperately looking for transport to take their young children to and back from schools.
Others who had already
attained a transport was stuck in the traffic jam forhoursonend.
Vehicles around the airport roundabout remained at a standstill from 8:00am to 10:00am causing several kilometres of tailbacks from theairport roundabout.
The AL supporters lined up the roads, leaving the footpaths free but obstructing vehicular movement on the roads. There was little order at the AL supporters' gathering there but police seemed incapable of removing them from the road.
Hardly any vehicle was able to enter into or come out of the airport for nearly two hours from 8:00am as AL activists blocked the entry points to the airport.
As a result, many passengers who arrived at ZIA in the morning were forced to remain inside the airport for hours before they were abletocomeout.
"My passenger arrived from Saudia Arabia at 7:30am and is still waiting inside as I can't enter the area," said Shafiqul Islam, driver of a microbus.
I le said that he had come from Langolkot in Comilla to pick up the passenger.
Awami League (AL) sources said that they had arranged a gathering of around 10 lakh people to accord
a welcome to Hasina. The massive gathering was the kick-start of AL's campaign for general election fixed on December 18, they said.
Former premier Hasina returned home yesterday ahead of the, elections after five months in Europe and America for treatment. EC'S RESTRAIN ON AL
I he EC in a press release said yesterday that AL supporters pasting posters on windowpanes of vehicles. and bringing out a procession holding AL’s election symbol "Boat" had turned the welcome reception into an election campaign.
The turning of a reception into an election campaign is in violation of election code of conduct as announced by the EC in its Candidates Code of Conduct, 2008, the press release said.
The EC requested AL to refrain from arranging such programmes in the future to ensure an electionfriendly situation in the country.
The press release added that according to the code of conduct any registered political party or a candidate nominated by the party or any independent candidate or any person on behalf of them cannot organise any election campaign before the last three weeks preceding the election date.