A partial view of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party rally held at Paltan in the capital on Tuesday, marking the second anniversary of 10th parliament election on January 5 in 2014. — Sanaul Haque
Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia on Tuesday once again urged the government to sit for a dialogue immediately to create environment for holding a fair and neutral general election to restore democracy.
‘Let us find a solution through discussion,’ Khaleda said at a rally Dhaka city BNP organised in front of the central BNP office at Naya Paltan marking the second anniversary of the January 5, 2014 general elections, boycotted by all opposition parties. BNP observe the day as ‘Democracy Killing Day.’
‘We have no grievance or grudge against anyone…confess to your mistakes…We want to work together to restore democracy,’ Khaleda said.
It was for the first time in more than one year that the BNP chief addressed such a big open rally. Law enforcers equipped with water cannon vehicles and Armoured Personnel Carrier were deployed around the rally venue.
Leaders and activists of BNP and its associate organisations join the programme from different wards of Dhaka city and its adjacent districts including Narayanganj.
Khaleda said that fair and neutral election was never possible under Awami League government.
Saying that the Awami League wanted to show its popularity holding partisan local government polls for the first time, the former prime minister urged AL to test its popularity through an election under a neutral government.
She said that AL could not assess its real popularity by using police, RAB, Chhatra League and Juba League in election.
Demanding immediate resignation of the Election Commission, Khaleda said that the commission exposed its feeling of ‘helplessness’ seeking prime minister’s intervention to contain irregularities in municipal polls.
She alleged that the commission violated the constitution by not deploying army in the municipal polls and worked as an ‘agent’ of AL.
The Awami League claimed that BNP accepted the government by contesting the municipal polls under the incumbents.
Khaleda said that Awami League had also contested local body polls under BNP government and local government elections were usually held under the political government.
She alleged that the Awami League had a link to militancy.
Citing incidents of bomb blasts at Udichi function in Jessore, Ramna Batamul and CPB rally, she said that militancy rose when AL was in power.
The BNP chairperson said that Awami League frequently scared foreigners that secularism would not exist if AL was not in power.
She alleged that properties Hindu community were grabbed and church and other religious worship places were attacked during the rule of Awami League.
She said that BNP wanted peace not militancy.
Khaleda said that none would be allowed to use the soil of Bangladesh to attack others.
She asked why perpetrators of the recent killing of foreigners in Bangladesh were not identified rather BNP leaders and activists were being arrested in false cases and why street lights and CCTV cameras were switched off in Gulshan during the killing of Italian citizen Caesar Tavella.
Referring to ongoing movements of teachers, engineers, physicians and various public servants, Khaleda said the government was discriminating against different cadres in favour of one or two cadres.
She asked the government to meet the demands raised by different cadres or to face the consequences.
The BNP chief also asked the government to stop repression, killing, arrest and enforced disappearance to avoid dire consequences.
She said the government is enacting new laws to repress opposition.
She demanded immediate release of detained politicians and journalists including Nagarik Oikya convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna, Amar Desh acting editor Mahmudur Rahman, journalist leader Shawkat Mahmud and Chhatra Dal president Rajib Ahsan.
Khaleda urged people of all walks of life to get united and to carry out peaceful democratic programmes to outs the ‘oppressor’ government.
Presided over by city BNP convening committee member Goyeshwar Chandra Roy, the rally was also addressed by leaders of BNP and its front organisations including Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Moudud Ahmed, Jamiruddin Sircar, Abdul Moyeen Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan, Shah Moazzem Hossain, Abdullah Al Noman, Selima Rahman, Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, AZM Zahid Hossain, Mohammad Shahjahan, Mahbub Uddin Khokon, Asaduzzaman Ripon, Moazzem Hossain Alal, Anwar Hossain, Shirin Sultana, Afroza Abbas, Istiaq Aziz Ulfat , Monir Hossain and Akramul Hasan.
Source: New Age
