Khaleda’s press conference Tuesday

Opposition Leader Khaleda Zia will speak at a news conference at 5:45pm on Tuesday.

The BNP Chairperson will brief the media at her Gulshan office, said her Press Secretary Maruf Kamal Khan on Sunday.

The conference will coincide with the end of the Opposition’s fifth transport blockade in recent weeks, which has sparked violence and caused disruptions.

The blockades of road, railways and waterways aim to make the interim government cancel the Jan 5 parliament elections.

She would place before the nation her party’s stand on the crucial national issues, her aide said.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had questioned the silence of Khaleda at Pakistan’s passing a resoluton on Dec 16 condemning hanging of war criminal and Jamaat-e-Islami leader Abdul Quader Molla on Dec 12.

Khaleda had on Oct 21 proposed a new formula on the nature of the election-time government, rejecting Prime Minister’s ‘all-party’ formula.

She had offered formation of the election-time government with former caretaker government advisors.

The Awami League rejected her idea and formed a multi-party government to oversee the next elections.

The rulingy party had also offered the Opposition to be part of it.

Instead of joining the cabinet, the Opposition has been enforcing countrywide shutdown and blockades demanding the holding of the next elections under a non-party caretaker government.

And despite sitting for talks, initiated by UN envoy Fernandez-Taranco early this month, neither the BNP nor Awami League has yet shown any flexibility on their stance.

Prime Minister Hasina last Thursday had said now there was no scope for the BNP to join the next elections due on Jan 5 as they did not join the polls process.

But talks will continue with the BNP and if any consensus is reached and they part ways with Jamaat-e-Islami and stop killing people, the incoming Parliament will be dissolved and polls will be held soon, she had added.

In an immediate reaction, the BNP had rejected the Prime Minister’s offer and called for holding the next election in line with its demands.

This the first time the BNP chief is coming up with her formal statements.

Source: bdnews24