Noting that the destructive activities of the 18-party alliance cost the country dearly last year, Awami League general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam on Tuesday urged BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia to take politics ahead peacefully.
He came up with the call while addressing a rally organised at Bangabandhu Avenue marking the ‘Victory Day for Democracy’.
“You killed 64 people and injured 1,500 more during your movement spanning from January 5 to April last year. The country incurred a financial loss of Tk 17,000 crore while 700 vehicles were set on fire,” Syed Ashraf said. “Why did you (Khaleda) do this? …for democracy?” he questioned hastening to answer: “People shouldn’t be killed and vehicles shouldn’t set ablaze for democracy.”
Alleging that the BNP chief wanted to turn the country into an ineffective state hindering its development through resorting to a bloodletting game, the ruling party leader said, the country’s people will never forget her misdeeds.
He also said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina believes in democracy where there will be no need of killing and where election will be held peacefully.
The ruling party organised the two rallies at Bangabandhu Avenue and Russell Square, marking the ‘Victory Day for Democracy’.
AL refutes khaleda’s offer
Meanwhile, Awami League joint general secretary Mahbub-ul-Alam Hanif on Wednesday said BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia should not talk about dialogue until she apologises to the nation for burning people to death in the name of movement.
“Now, she’s talking about dialogue and peace. But, she has not yet apologised to the family members of those killed during the so-called movement. She should have begged the nation’s pardon as people don’t like to hold talks with the killers,” he said.
The ruling party leader was addressing a press briefing after a joint meeting with the party’s associate bodies at the AL president’s Dhanmondi political office in the city.
The meeting, presided over by AL presidium member Obaidul Quader, decided to shift the Suhrawardy Udyan rally, marking the homecoming day of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, to January 11 from January 10 due to Biswa Ijtema.
Addressing a public rally on Tuesday, Khaleda Zia urged the government to engage in talks to find out a solution to the country’s problems and restore democracy.
BNP slams govt for snub to dialogue offer
Meanwhile, Criticising the government for turning down its dialogue offer, BNP on Wednesday said the ruling party is out to implement its ill-motive to hang onto power.
“If they (govt) restore democratic and human rights of people, then there’ll be a change in the government…they won’t be able to stay in power any more. So, they’re bogged down in their false pride and ill-motivated plan,” BNP joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi told a press briefing at the party’s Nayapaltan central office.
He alleged that the government snatched all the democratic rights of people, including their franchise, in its bid to prolong its power through ‘muscle power’.
Accusing the ruling party men of obstructing BNP men from joining their January-5 rallies in different places, he said the government is in fear that it will fall if the democratic space is widened.
Referring to the recently concluded municipal election, Rizvi said the people experienced the violent incidents of vote rigging on December 30 last.
Terming the Election Commission the ‘thief of statistics’, he said the EC claimed that the voter turnout was 74 percent denying the incidents of vote fraud, and assisted the government in snatching votes.
“The government is the thief of votes, while the Election Commission is the thief of statistics,” he said. The BNP leader demanded unconditional release of BNP’s Dhaka city unit convener Mirza Abbas and other BNP leaders and withdrawal of the ‘false’ cases filed against them.
The court on Wednesday sent Mirza Abbas to jail rejecting his bail petition.
BNP assistant organising secretary Abdus Salam Azad and its assistant office secretary Asadul Karim Shahin were, among others, present at the briefing.
Source: Weekly Holiday