The Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson, Khaleda Zia, on Monday said people were now looking to the ‘nationalist forces’ to rid them of the current situation.
She urged all nationalist forces to work together narrowing differences to build up a happy Bangladesh.
She made the remarks while briefly addressing an iftar party hosted by Bikalpadhara Bangladesh at a hotel at Gulshan in the city.
Khaleda said the Liberation War was fought for democracy, human rights, fundamental rights, job, health and education for all.
But the country was yet to achieve the goals, she said.
Khaleda alleged that the incumbent ‘undemocratic’ and ‘unelected’ government was repressing women.
In an oblique reference to a recent statement of Jatiya Party chairman HM Ershad, she said a leader of the self-declared opposition in parliament had branded women in parliament as ‘showpieces’.
‘The wife of that leader is leader of the opposition in parliament,’ Khaleda said adding that even the prime minister and the speaker, although elected without vote, were women.
The BNP chairperson wondered how ‘that leader’ could dare to insult the mothers and sisters of the country where women constituted 50 per cent of the population.
The BNP chairperson iterated her demand for a fair election saying that her party did not want to go to power through chaos, bloodshed or snatching ballot boxes.
She said BNP wanted a fair and inclusive election and the winners would form the government.
Bikalpadhara president AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury called for launching a united platform to emancipate the people.
Jatiya Party faction chairman Kazi Zafar Ahmad, Jatiya Samajtantric Dal faction president ASM Abdur Rob, Gana Forum leader Subrata Chowdhury, Kalyan Party chairman Syed M Ibrahim, Labour party chairman Mustafizur Rahman Iran, Bikalpadhara secretary general Abdul Mannan, joint secretary general Mahi B Chowdhury, journalist Mafuz Ullah and a British diplomat stationed in Dhaka, among others, attended the iftar.
Source: New Age
