The BNP-led 18-party alliance will observe a road blockade programme on December 9 across the country demanding restoration of the caretaker government system, Khaleda Zia said on Wednesday.
BNP Chairperson Khaleda announced the programme at a grand rally in front of the party central office at Nayapaltan in the capital.
She also vowed to call non-stop hartal and strike for holding the next national election under a caretaker government.
“Don’t try to stop our democratic programmes, we will go for tougher movement if needed,” the opposition leader in parliament said urging the people to join the ongoing anti-government movement to uphold the independence and sovereignty of the country.
Khaleda alleged that the government failed to construct the Padma bridge due to its corruption.
“What is the necessity of that government which does not implement its pledges,” the BNP chief said.
She said the government should arrange a fair and neutral election accepting the non-party government system.
The opposition leader further claimed that the government has no achievement in last five years. “It did not do any work for the development of the country,” she said.
In her address, Khaleda sought public support for another term in power to serve the nation, pledging a facelift of the country through massive development works.
“Give me one last chance. I will give the country a facelift through massive development works. If I fail, I will never come to you and I’ll accept any punishment,” she vowed.
Khaleda will lead a mass campaign in the capital on December 26 while the other top leaders of the alliance will lead mass campaign in divisional cities.
Earlier, the opposition leader reached the venue and stepped up on the dais at about 3:15pm.
After the rally began around 2:00pm, a number of 18-party leaders including Mojibur Rahman, assistant secretary of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Sheikh Shawkat Hossain Nilu, chairman of National People’s Party, addressed the audience.
They warned of a dire consequence if the government does not stop repression on their leaders and activists.
Thousands of activists of the 18-party alliance occupied a large part of the city spilling over the venue, halting transport movement at Fakirerpool, Nayapaltan and Kakrail intersections and Rajarbag Police Lines area.
Supporters carrying banners and festoons of the 18-party rushed to the venue from different parts of the city in processions.
The crisis-riddled Jamaat-e-Islami is dominating today’s rally by gathering its huge number of activists.
The rally was organised by the BNP-led 18-party opposition alliance for mounting pressure to the government for restoring the caretaker government system.
Today’s showdown is the BNP-led 18-party alliance’s third one in the last nine months and the first since July.
The 18-party got permission for the rally from Dhaka Metropolitan Police on Tuesday.
Last month, the alliance had announced to hold the mass rally in the capital on November 22 but later they shifted the programme to press home their bunch of demands including the one for restoring caretaker government and holding next general polls under it.
While addressing thousands of supporters in the March 12 rally, the BNP chief gave the Hasina administration a 90-day ultimatum to announce the restoration of the caretaker system.
In the June 11 rally, she gave another ultimatum to the government and threatened to announce tougher agitation programmes like hartal, blockade and mass sit-in after Eid-ul-Fitr if the government failed to meet their demands.
Source: The Daily Star
