AL to observe Democracy Victory Day on Thursday

Awami League will observe victory day for democracy in the country on Thursday to mark 5 January national election.

On this day, three years back in 2014, Awami League, the party which successfully led the nation`s War of Liberation, won the polls to the 10th Jatiya Sangsad (parliament), defeating all conspiracies and overcoming all barriers, and formed the government for the third time.

For this reason, the day is regarded to the nation as Victory Day for Democracy.

Awami League and other pro-liberation political parties and social organizations have chalked out elaborate programmes to observe the day in a betting manner across the country.

The programmes include holding rallies and processions at district, city and upazila levels.

As part of the central programmes, AL Dhaka North unit will organize a rally and victory procession at Russel Square at 2:30 pm while AL Dhaka South unit will hold identical programmes at Bangabandhu Avenue.

In a statement, AL General Secretary and Minister for Road Transport and Bridges Obaidul Quader called upon all units of the party and associated organizations to observe all programmes of the day.

He also urged the people of all strata to celebrate the Day of Victory for Democracy in a festive environment.

Earlier, on June 30 in 2011, the 15th Amendment Bill was passed in the Jatiya Sangsad repealing the provision for caretaker system of government. The then main opposition BNP and its allies launched a movement demanding reinstating of the provision of a caretaker government during the polls.

Centring the January 5 national polls of 2014, the BNP-Jamaat combine created unprecedented anarchy throughout the country unleashing vandalism, destruction, killing, subversive acts in the name of non-stop siege and hartal (total shutdown) programmes.

In its bid to thwart the national polls, the BNP-Jamaat alliance with anti- liberation forces created panic by killing people, setting ablaze buses-trains, derailing trains by removing fish plates while its armed cadres put into flames 111 polling centres, chopped off a polling officer and few other poll officials, snatched away election materials, blasted petrol bombs a day before the polls.

But braving intimidation and threat on their lives, some 42 percent people exercised their franchise in the polls to the 10th Jatiya Sangsad for the sake of continuation of the constitutional democratic practice in the country. The BNP-Jamaat combine wanted to jeopardise the national polls unleashing terrorism, intimidation and widespread anarchy ostensibly for installing another 1/11 like undemocratic government.

Facing a stiff challenge and widespread anarchy, the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina restored peace with improvement of law and order across the country through holding of the national polls that cleared the way for continuation of democracy.

Awami League bagged 234 seats in the polls to the 10th Jatiya Sangsad, Jatiya Party (Ershad) got 34 seats and Awami League`s allies like Workers Party secured six stats while Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) won five seats and constituted the Awami League-led alliance government on January 12 in 2014.

Talking to BSS, Awami League presidium member and Health and Family Welfare Minister Mohammad Nasim said, "Democracy in Bangladesh became victorious through the January 5 election of 2014. The nation would have been experiencing martial law had the election not been held on the day. The country`s economy and democracy would have been at stake if election was not held. We would have to face a situation like the one in Thailand. Restrictions would have been imposed on our holding of public rallies. Overcoming all the frays, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina restored democracy in the country. For this reason we observe the day as the day of victory of democracy."

AL Joint General Secretary Mahbub-ul-Alam Hanif said the government ensured people`s democratic rights through the January 5 polls.

He said the Jamaat-Shibir-controlled BNP wanted to grab power through unconstitutional means.

The BNP, along with anti-liberation Jamaat-e-Islami, wants to push the country into darkness, but the people will never give them the chance, he added.

Source: BSS