PM asks AL men to give iftar to poor instead of holding party

Awami League (AL) President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has instructed her party men not to arrange iftar mahfils but to distribute iftar items among the poor people.

"AL President Sheikh Hasina has instructed all the party leaders and workers - from the central to grassroots - not to organise iftar mahfils," AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader told a rally in front of AL's Bangabandhu Avenue central office here this afternoon.

Dhaka south and north units of Awami League arranged the joint rally, marking the Genocide Day on March 25.

Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, said: "All the AL units and its affiliated organisations from the central level to grassroots level will not arrange iftar mahfils during the holy month of Ramadan. This is the instruction from our party chief. You should distribute iftar items among the poor and the destitute people with the money you are supposed to spend for arranging iftar mahfils."

On behalf of the party, he said, AL men would distribute iftar items among poor people instead of arranging iftar parties.

Chaired by Dhaka South City AL president Abu Ahmed Mannafi, the rally was addressed, among others, by AL presidium members Tofazzal Hossain Chowhury Maya and Advocate Quamrul Islam, joint general secretaries Mahbubul Alam Hanif and AFM Bahauddin Nasim and organising secretary Mirza Azam.