Khaleda determined to restore democracy

BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia has expressed her determination to  restore democracy at any cost saying that the main motto of her party was to protect the country and ensure the welfare of its people is.
“We’ve liberated the country, but now our independence is at stake. We’ll carry out our movement to save the country and restore people’s democratic rights at any cost,” she said.
Khaleda was addressing a programme on Monday night arranged by Jatiyatabadi Samajik Sangskritik Sangstha (Jasas) at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh to celebrate the Bangla New Year 1421.
“We’ll continue our agitation against the autocratic regime,” she told her audience.  The former prime minister praised the lyrical ballad staged by the organiser of the programme. “You’ve depicted the character of the autocratic regime. I call upon you to spread it across the country as the common people want to know about it. I’m with you and will remain so in the future, too.”  Khaleda joined the programme around 8:30pm on Monday and enjoyed the lyrical ballad ‘Palki’ directed by party cultural affairs secretary Gazi Mazharul Anwar.
Meanwhile, BNP has announced a long march towards the Teesta Barrage in Lalmonirhat on April 22 demanding “fair share” of water of the common river with India.
Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, acting secretary general of BNP, will lead its long march. The BNP leader was talking to newsmen after a joint meeting of BNP and its associated bodies at the party’s Nayapaltan headquarters.
“To ensure that Bangladesh gets its due share of Teesta waters, an agreement was supposed to be inked during Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Bangladesh in 2011. But the government has failed to do so,” said Fakhrul.
“We will hold a rally at Daliya point of Lalmonirhat on April 23 around 11:00am,” he added.
He hoped that the government would extend its all out cooperation to make the programme a success.
The long march will start in front of the Nayapaltan central office in the morning. The march will pass through Tongi, Gazipur and Sirajganj on the way to Rangpur, where the party men will stay overnight. The following morning, the march will resume towards Lalmonirhat.
Earlier at a meeting chaired by Khaleda Zia, BNP national standing committee on April 9 had decided to hold the long march towards the Teesta Barrage.
Meanwhile, Communist Party of Bangladesh and Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal jointly launched a three-day long march towards the Teesta barrage from on Thursday demanding due share of water from the Teesta and 53 other common rivers with the neighbouring country.
The march started in front of the Jatiya Press Club around 3:30pm.
Bangladesh Islamic Party also formed a human chain in front of the Jatiya Press Club yesterday protesting the government’s failure to ensure due share of Teesta waters for Bangladesh.

Source: Weekly Holiday