Hasina's ultimatum to scrap poll results

By Our Special Correspondent

DHAKA, OCT. 4. While the Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader, Begum Khaleda Zia, is all set to form a Government, the Awami League president, Sheikh Hasina, has issued an ultimatum to scrap the ``manipulated poll results'' and declare fresh elections by October 10, failing which her party would launch a nation-wide agitation.

After the party's working committee meeting last night, Sheikh Hasina said, ``we are not going to accept the manipulated results and are not going to take oath.''

The former Prime Minister's ultimatum has signalled a serious confrontation in the coming days, but it is widely believed that it may not cast a shadow on the formation of the next Government by Begum Zia and her radical Islamic partners.

Begum Zia and her senior party leaders met the President, Mr. Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed, and the chief of the caretaker Government, Mr. Justice Latifur Rahman, and requested support for quick formation of their Government.

The new Government is likely to be sworn in next week.

The Pakistan President, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, congratulated Begum Zia over phone on her party's ``impressive victory''.

The former U.S. President, Mr. Jimmy Carter, and various world leaders too have sent congratulatory messages to the BNP chief.

Western diplomats here have urged the Awami League leadership to accept the results.

The BNP secretary-general, Mr. Abdul Mannan Bhuyan, told a private television that the people have rejected the Awami League and ``will again reject them if they try to question their verdict''.

Most of the dailies today published reports of a series of attacks on the Awami League leaders, offices and installations including forcible occupation of all university student dormitories by the BNP and Jamaat activists.

Despite Begum Zia's appeal, they destroyed even photos of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

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Section  : International
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