Special Correspondent
After a series of hartal and blockade , the opposition alliance led by Bangladesh Nationalist Party( BNP) has called a new type of programme – March for Democracy – for December 29 to press home their demand for having an election under a non-party neutral administration.
Addressing a crowded press conference at her Gulshan office on Tuesday evening, Khaleda urged the countrymen to march towards Dhaka carrying the national flag and gather in front of BNP’s Nayapaltan central office.
“To give our movement a greater momentum and take it to the next level, I call upon all of you, irrespective of your political beliefs and opinions, to march to Dhaka on Sunday, the 29th of December. This march is to say ‘no’ to farcical election and to say ‘yes’ to democracy. This historic march will be to express your support for credible elections under a neutral non-party election-time government,” she said in a written speech.
“I call upon you all to converge in Dhaka in this month of our victory waiving our Red and Green National flag. All of you are requested to gather in front of our party central office at Paltan. I appeal to the professionals, the business community, Alem-Ulema, the civil society, students, the youth, girls and boys, farmers, workers, the people of all faiths and beliefs, the people of the hills and the plains, all those who want democracy and peace, to come to Dhaka on that day, the former premier added.
At the same time, she also appealed to the residents of Dhaka to join the gathering. “All those who have suffered in the hands of this government, come out and express your solidarity. Those who have lost everything in the share market scam come out and join this sea of humanity.”
The opposition leader also urged the government not to impede the March for Democracy by any means. “Don’t block roads; don’t close down transport and hotels. Don’t try to arrest or harass those coming to Dhaka, allow the citizens to exercise their fundamental right of peaceful assembly. The Constitution has given the people this right. You’ve taken oath to uphold the Constitution. Do not violate your oath.”
She also warned that if there is any attempt to deny the people of this right will be resisted and “we’ll be forced to announce even stronger action programmes. My appeal to the law enforcement personnel, do not obstruct this peaceful gathering.”
Reminding the government that there is still a plenty of time, Khaleda Zia also demanded cancellation of the schedule of the January-5 election and urged the government to reach a consensus for inclusive and credible polls.
Reoffering to the UN Secretary General’s special representative Oscar Fernandez-Taranco’s efforts for an understanding on the election-time government, Khaleda said they readily accepted his request for sitting in dialogue on this issue, even when many of their senior leaders were languishing in prisons on false charges.
The BNP chief said their repeated appeals for postponing the one-sided election schedule to facilitate meaningful discussions went unheeded. “In other words, the government remained unwilling to create an environment conducive to a serious dialogue. Our sincerity for a consensus, however, has been proven beyond any doubt.”
She blamed the government’s insincerity for not yielding any positive outcome from the three rounds of talks between representatives of BNP and those from the Awami League under the auspices of the UN.
“The government has remained intransigent going ahead with an election, which is neither free nor fair and one without the participation of all parties. Their plans for a fraudulent election has by now become clear to all. Their participation in the talks was only to deceive people,” she said.
She came down hard on the government for its repressive acts and resisting opposition leaders and activists from exercising their democratic rights.
“The country’s prisons have filled with leaders and supporters of the Opposition. The party offices in Dhaka and other parts of the country are consistently under police siege. Acts of killing, abduction, indiscriminate arrests, tear gassing, lathi charge and other such repressive measures have become the norm. This planned tactic is aimed to create fear and panic among the opposition activists so that the government can implement its blueprint for a farcical election,” the BNP chief alleged.
The former premier called upon the law enforcement agencies not to be misled by a handful of self-serving, partisan members and resort to illegal acts. “Preserve your sense of professionalism and protect your integrity. You’re not adversaries of people or of opposition political parties. Don’t allow yourselves to be used as tools of repression for the ruling party against the people.
“Not only people are being abducted or shot at sight, people are being killed inside their homes. Joint Task forces are being set up in the name of protection of law and order and these are being blatantly used and abused for attacks against selected targets. Now plans are on to involve members of the country’s Armed Forces in these illegal activities,” she alleged.
AL reacts angry
Terming the opposition’s December 29 programme illogical, State Minister for Home Shamsul Haq Tuku on Wednesday said they have announced this programme to thwart the upcoming national election and the war crimes trial.
“We know they (opposition) won’t hold any peaceful programme…their main aim is to carry out sabotage in the country in the name of the programme,” he told newsmen.
Replying to a query over the opposition’s request to the police and Home Ministry for cooperation with them in holding the ‘March for Democracy’ programme, Tuku said the law-enforcing agencies will take steps seeing the nature of their programme.
About the ‘mass arrest’ of opposition activists across the country ahead of their countrywide Thursday’s demonstration, the junior minister said the opposition men are being arrested on the basis of specific allegations. “No one was arrested without allegation, and this can’t be called ‘mass arrest’,” he added.
Earlier in the day, opposition BNP sought cooperation of the police in staging its ‘March for Democracy’ programme on Sunday towards the capital. BNP sent a letter to the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) informing it about the programme and seeking adequate security for the mass gathering in front of its Nayapaltan central office.
The party also sent separate letters to the Home Minister, the Home Secretary and the Inspector General of Police seeking cooperation for staging the rally.
Meanwhile, ruling Awami Leage leaders asserted that the government would not allow the opposition to move towards Dhaka and take necessary measures to stop the march
The ruling Awami League is not anxious about the opposition’s “March for Democracy” programme as its leaders think the programme will not be able to affect the people and will fail like the blockades and hartals.
Awami League Presidium member Mohammad Nasim even thinks that the activists of Khaleda Zia’s own party will not respond to her call.
On Tuesday, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia announced the programme, urging people to join the march towards the capital on December 29.
After the announcement, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina discussed the matter with a few central leaders at Ganabhaban and gave hints that necessary steps would be taken to foil BNP’s programme.
“I will do whatever is necessary,” a leader who attended the meeting quoted Hasina as saying.
Referring to the PM’s hints, a central leader who was present at the Ganabhaban meeting told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that the BNP had previously cut off communication between Dhaka and the rest of the country through blockades, “now we will do that.”
A number of Awami League leaders said they would face the opposition’s programme politically and administratively.
They said the government was examining several options – such as not giving permission to hold the programme, banning all political programmes for the time being, calling counter programmes in the capital or imposing an undeclared blockade in Dhaka before December 29 – to foil the BNP’s march to the capital.
Criticising the programme, senior Awami League leader Suranjit Sengupta said: “It is a march for autocracy, a march for hypocrisy.”
Warning the opposition leader, Suranjit said: “You have the right to holding rallies, but you have no right to damage assets of the country.”
Khaleda warns dire consequences
However, BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia on Wednesday night warned that the government will have to face the dire consequences if it obstructs the opposition’s December-29 ‘March for Democracy’ towards the capital.
“I would like to tell the government, don’t obstruct me. If you do, it’ll mean you (govt) are weak,” she said while exchanging greetings with a delegation of the Christian community at her Gulshan office on the occasion of Christmas.
Khaleda, also the opposition leader, feared that the government might obstruct their programme confining the opposition leaders and activists and people to their houses.
“If you (govt) do so, the consequences will be worse, tougher and pathetic,” she warned the government.
Assuring that their ‘March for Democracy’ programme will be peaceful one, Khaleda demanded the government arrange the national election under a non-party administration through an understanding with the opposition postponing the schedule for the January-5 parliamentary elections.
“Shun your stubbornness and vanity for the sake of the country, and hold the election under a non-party government through holding a fresh dialogue postponing the polls schedule,” she said pointing at the government.
About street violence, Khaleda alleged that Awami League leaders and activists set ablaze buses, but now they shifting the blame onto BNP activists. “There’s nothing new. They (gov) have been doing this for a long time.”
The BNP chief claimed that ‘false’ cases are being filed against the opposition leaders in connection with arson attacks on vehicles and killings.
Criticising the government, the former premier said, “No opposition leader is being allowed to enter her office. The leaders are being arrested in front of the gate. The same condition is in her residence. Is it democracy?”
People coming to Dhaka
People started moving towards capital Dhaka from Wednesday evening in response to BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia’s call for joining the ‘March for Democracy’ programme scheduled for Sunday.
The government understands that a large number of leaders and activists of the BNP-led 18-party alliance has already begun heading towards the capital from different districts well ahead of the rally fearing that they might be intercepted on the way by the members of the Awami League-led-14 party alliance or the law enforcers on the eve of the public showdown.
Many of them are expected to reach Dhaka in microbuses on Friday undercover of bridal parties as a large number of wedding ceremonies is set to take place in the capital on that day, the sources said.
They said the opposition activists will stay in their relatives or friends houses instead of hotels or guesthouses to avoid law enforcers’ any possible drive.
Besides, many of them will stay in madrasahs and mosques in the capital and on the outskirts of the city so that they may join the March for Democracy programme scheduled to be held in front of BNP’s Noyapaltan central office, the sources added.
However, BNP grassroots are bracing to march towards Dhaka on December 29 but they are sceptical about the success of the programme in apprehension of repressive measures of the government.e.
Referring to the government steps to block the last year’s March 12 Dhaka siege programme, the grassroots leaders said they might face similar obstruction this time too.
Many transport owners and workers allegedly loyal to the government refrained from operating inter-district buses and launches ahead of the March 12 programme. The BNP said 10 thousand people joined the agitation despite the hurdles and the police hassles.
The BNP says most of the presidents and secretaries of the BNP and its front organisations are either behind bars or on the run to evade arrest.
The leaders of Dhaka city units have rarely been seen since the blockade programme started on November 26.
Zafor lends support to March
Jatiya Party (Zafar) Chairman Kazi Zafar Ahmad has expressed his solidarity to the ‘March for Democracy’ programme announced by opposition chief Khaleda Zia and said he would join the programme on Dec 29.
“We have decided to join the ‘March for Democracy’ programme on Dec 29. I would like to request all the JP leaders and activists to join the programme to make it a success,” Zafar told reporters at a media briefing at Gulshan in the capital on Wednesday.
Terming Kahaleda Zia’s Tuesday speech the ‘best speech in her life’, the former prime minister said, “The election on January 5 is going to be a farce.”
Source: Weekly Holiday
