Ruling Awami League president and prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday took opinions of leaders of the partners of Awami League-led alliance before imposing a countrywide curfew to control ‘anarchies’ created during the ongoing student movement demanding reform in the quota system in government jobs.
Sheikh Hasina, also leader of the AL-led alliance, held a meeting with the leaders of the alliance at her official residence Ganabhaban before imposing the curfew, the sources of alliance told ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· on Saturday afternoon.
In the meeting with the leaders of the alliance, Sheikh Hasina said that she had two options to control anarchies—either to impose Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure or to impose a curfew– and she sought opinions of the alliance leaders as to which one they would endorse.
Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-Jasod president Hasanul Haq Inu said at the meeting that the government should take strong steps to control the anarchies and he endorsed imposing the curfew.
‘We did not get any visible steps of the state during recent anarchies in the name of the movement,’ Inu said. Â
Endorsing the curfew, Workers Party of Bangladesh, another partner of the Awami League-led alliance, president Rashed Khan Menon said that the government should have resolved the quota crisis earlier politically as the issue was political, and not an issue of the court.
Bangladesher Samyabadi Dal general secretary Dilip Barua said at the meeting that over-confidence of the ruling Awami League made the issue complex.
He favoured immediate strong steps by the government to control the anarchies.Â
Communist Kendra joint convener Asit Baran Roy also favoured taking strong steps of the government to control anarchies.
Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-Jasod general secretary Shirin Akhter, Workers Party politburo member Mahmudul Hasan Manik, Ganoazadi League president SK Sikder, Ganatantri Party president Shahadat Hossain, Bangadesher Samajtantrik Dal convener Rezaul Rashid Khan also attended the meeting and endorsed imposing the curfew, the meeting sources said.
The government imposed the curfew across the country for an indefinite period from midnight past Friday as at least 67 people were killed on Friday taking the death toll to over 100 in the past four days of protests over reform of the quota system in government jobs.
More deaths were reported from violence that continued in places even during the curfew.