The Awami League-led government is hanging on to power with ‘the help of guns’, Khaleda Zia has said as she asked for a fresh election after ‘negotiations’.
She is blaming the government for attacks on homes and businesses of Hindus in various parts of Bangladesh after the Jan 5 election.
At the first post-poll rally of the BNP at Suhrawardy Udyan on Monday, the party Chairperson said the current government has held on to power not by votes.
At the outset of the rally, she congratulated the people on rejecting the ‘farcical polls’.
Khaleda also termed the Awami League-led government ‘scandalous’.
The Jan 5 ballottng had shown that a fair election could not be held without a ‘non-party’ government, she asserted.
Waving copies of the Jan 6 issues of Bangla dailies Inqilab and Prothom Alo, she said the voters had not voted on polling day.
Reading out the Prothom Alo headline, she said, “This is a scandalous government.”
She dared it to test its popularity in a new election under a ‘neutral’ regime.
The Hindus were being tortured just to cover up the government’s failure to drum up people’s support, she said.
“Hindu brothers are being tortured and their houses and businesses are being attacked and grabbed.”
“The responsibility of the attacks on the minorities falls on the government. The government has failed to ensure their security and detain their attackers.”
Khaleda alleged that the government was now killing and concealing their bodies in the guise of a joint forces’ drive.
“Stop all this. You will have to answer for this one day,” she cautioned the government.
The former Prime Minister said the government would not be able to hold on to power by force.
The actions of the ruling regime cast doubts on the Bangladesh’s independence and sovereignty, she observed.
She branded the government ‘illegal’, saying, “Those who did not win by people’s vote have no rights to sit in Parliament.”
The people would overthrow it, she maintained.
She alleged that “each and every person has boycotted this election”, resulting in an exercise not acceptable to anyone.
“So, come to talks and arrange for polls,” she said.
The BNP chief again said no fair polls can be held under the current management of the Election Commission.
“Five percent voters cast their vote but the EC announced three days after the polls that 40 per cent of the voters had cast their vote.”
Alleging that militancy rose up during last Awami League government, Jamaat-e-Islami’s main ally Khaleda said it was only possible for her party to control the militancy.
Source: Bd news24
