BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia addresses an iftar party she hosted at Nabaratri Hall of International Convention Center at Bashundhara in Dhaka for party leaders on Saturday.–New Age photo
Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia on Saturday urged the Election Commission to conduct the next general election on the basis of opinions expressed by various political parties during dialogues with them and not to implement the government’s wishes.
The EC has planned to hold dialogues with political parties on the next general election from next month.
Briefly addressing an iftar party, the BNP chief reiterated her party’s stance to take part in a free, fair and inclusive election under a neutral government.
Khaleda said, ‘Awami League is afraid of a free and fair election under a neutral government as they can sense their impending debacle.’
She said that people would not participate in any election if it was held under Sheikh Hasina’s government and it would not result in anything good.
Khaleda hosted the iftar party at Nabaratri Hall of International Convention Centre at Bashundhara in Dhaka for her party’s leaders.
She advised the government to accept the scope for returning to democracy through holding a free, fair, neutral and inclusive election in the country.
Turning to the proposed national budget, Khaleda, a former prime minister, said: ‘The people faced with many problems have been passing through hard times, but the way taxes have been imposed would further deepen their crises.’
She warned that the proposed budget would cause prices of essentials to go up and create scopes for corruption.
Terming the incumbent government as ‘anti-people’, she said it was not seeing the sufferings of the people. ‘A people’s government is now necessary to address their sufferings,’ she said, adding, ‘For this, a fair and neutral election is required.’
The BNP chief alleged that the ruling party people and government high-ups were involved in siphoning off huge public money and property abroad. ‘But those elements are beyond reach,’ she added.
She complained that a significant number of the country’s young people remained jobless while a large number of foreigners were working here.
‘It is not the responsibility of BNP alone to oust the incumbent anti-people government but of all political parties,’ she said, adding that the people would have to come forward to that end.
Source: New Age
