The Awami League has foiled the government's camouflaged efforts to muzzle party chief Sheikh Hasina and finalised alternative arrangements to broadcast her "address to the nation" globally today.
Two London-based Bengali TV channels and three websites will carry the address. The websites are www.bangladesh.net , www.albd.com and www.joybangla.com . They will carry the address today at 6pm Bangladesh time.
London-based Bengali channels - Bangla TV and Sonali TV - will carry the speech when they receive the cassette.
The text of the speech will also be carried in newspapers.
A high-level meeting with party chief Sheikh Hasina in the chair finalised the draft speech yesterday. A party insider said apart from making a critical appraisal of the Khaleda government, the opposition leader will spell out the "future direction of Awami League politics".
Saber Hossain Chowdhury, political secretary to the Awami League chief, said since they are not getting access to satellite options available within Bangla-desh, they have made alternative arrangements so that people can watch and hear the speech.
"In this information era no one can stop anything," he said. The recording of the speech was completed yesterday, Saber said.
Television channels and Bangla-desh Radio are under pressure from the authorities not to broadcast her speech on Khaleda Zia's government completing 100 days in office.
State-owned BTV and Bangla-desh Betar (Radio) that sent the Awami request to air the opposition leader's speech to the government are yet to receive any response from it.
The Awami League also requested all the four TV channels and Bangladesh Betar to arrange for the broadcast.
"It is not known what the government has told private channels. Since the government has declared its achievements over the last 100 days, the opposition has the right to evaluate it," Chowdhury said.
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