Hartal again, if fuel prices hiked: Khaleda

She also demands restoration of CG system

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia speaks at a rally in Gabtoli of the capital on Wednesday.

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia on Wednesday threatened to resort to hartal if the fuel prices were further increased.

“If the prices of oil are hiked, the prices of all daily necessities will be increased,” she said.

Khaleda was speaking at Karwan Bazar, the second venue of her five roadside rallies scheduled for today.

Khaleda also demanded reinstatement of the caretaker government system for her and the opposition lawmakers’ return to the Jatiya Sangsad.

“We have given four years time to the government, but it failed to make any development of the country,” Khaleda said.

Earlier in her first rally at Gabtoli, Khaleda reiterated that no parliamentary elections will be allowed to be held without the caretaker government system.

During her nearly 40 minutes speech in Karwan Bazar, she also said they resorted to street agitation programme only to protest the government’s misruling, looting and anarchic activities.

She presented some photographs showing Information Minister Hasanul Haque Inu and Awami League leader Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim shaking hands with Jamaat-e-Islami leaders Motiur Rahman Nizami and Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed respectively.

Khaleda also displayed a picture during her speech that shows Sheikh Hasina holds a meeting with war crimes suspect Jamaat leader Motiur Rahman Nizami.

“The life of people becomes unbearable and they want to get rid of this government,” Khaleda added.

The leader of the opposition in parliament also criticised the government for not carrying out development work in Dhaka city.

Khaleda alleged that people remains unemployed, they do not get any work. Only Awami League men were getting all kinds of job, she said.

“They (AL men) amassed sackful of money by appointing people in Railways Department,” said Khaleda.

“We do not have any objection about the completion of government’s tenure, but it has to pass the caretaker government bill in parliament,” Khaleda said at Gabtoli.

During her nearly 35-minute speech, she said their movement could not be thwarted by filing false cases against the opposition leaders and activists.

Khaleda also demanded unconditional release of detained opposition leaders and activists including BNP acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

She also claimed that their female activists were detained from their various programmes and subjected to torture in remand.

The leader of the opposition in parliament also urged the people to be united to strengthen their movement and make it a success.

Earlier, she reached the venue around 11:15am as part of a mass contact programme to press home the 18-party alliance’s demands, including the restoration of the caretaker government system to oversee the next parliamentary election.

Later in the day, the BNP chairperson also addressed two separate rallies at Jatrabari and Sabujbagh on her way to Badda.

Earlier in the morning, hundreds of 18-party opposition leaders and activists carrying banners and chanting slogans thronged Beauty Cinema Hall and its adjacent area at Gabtoli where the BNP chief held her first rally.

Later she went to Karwan Bazar via Kalyanpur, Agargaon and Farmgate.

The BNP chief then travelled through Dholaikhal, Moghbazar, Kakrail and Gulistan.

After exchanging greetings with party men at Dholaikhal, she went to Jatrabari via Doyaganj to address a rally, and then travelled to Sabujbagh via Sayedabad and Mughda areas.

On Tuesday, the main opposition BNP expressed regret in advance about the sufferings the day-long programme would cause to city residents.

“We are sorry for the inconvenience [to be caused due to the rallies], but I believe city residents will cooperate with us,” Abdus Salam, member secretary of Dhaka city unit BNP, said at a press briefing yesterday.

The alliance is also observing the mass contact programme in other parts of the country to drum up public support for their demands.

On the other hand, Home Minister MK Alamgir, on Tuesday said if the opposition holds the programme peacefully, the government would welcome it.

On November 28, Khaleda announced the programme at a rally in front of the BNP central office.

Source:The Daily Star