Khaleda Zia has vowed to stage the world’s biggest anti-government popular uprising to find a place in the Guinness Book of World Records.
“We’ll teach a lesson to this government so much that spending over a hundred crore taka for singing the national anthem will not be enough to save it,” the chairperson of Bangladesh Nationalist Party told a conference of journalists on Saturday.
Her declaration came days after Bangladesh marked this year’s Independence Day on March 26 singing the national anthem by more than 300,000 people in a bid to make a world record.
Addressing the biennial conference of a faction of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFJU) at the Jatiya Press Club,
Khaleda Zia alleged that people were paid money to sing the national anthem at the spectacular event at National Parade Ground in the city.
Khaleda said “It will be a real farewell when people will flood the streets, and that will make an entry into the Guinness Book.” She warned that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government will be given a “farewell through a peoples’ uprising.”
Khaleda accused the Awami League of misleading the people with wrong information about the Liberation War of 1971.
“Awami League only speaks about the spirit of the Liberation War. They act like this because they did not take part in the war or witness it,” she said.
“AL men who claim to be freedom fighters only crossed the border (into India), as refugees,” she claimed.
The BNP chief noted that they will announce fresh anti-government programmes after the upazila elections are over.
Terming the government illegal Khaleda said the parliament also does not exist today as it has an opposition only loyal to government.
She also urged the Jatiya Party (JP) leader Rowshan Ershad to resign as the leader of the opposition in the parliament.
Khaleda Zia said BNP was under pressure too to participate in the Jan. 5 election, but it did not give in for greater public interest.
Chaired by BFUJ president Ruhul Amin Gazi, the meeting was also addressed by its secretary general Sawkat Mahmud and Jatiya Press Club president Kamal Uddin Shabuj.
Alan Duncan meets Khaleda
Meanwhile, visiting British State Minister for International Development Alan Duncan met BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia on Wednesday night. The meeting was held at BNP chairperson’s Gulshan residence.
British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Robert W Gibson, BNP vice-chairman Shamsher Mubin Chowdhury and chairperson’s advisers Reaz Rahman were present in the meeting.
Later, Singapore High Commissioner to Bangladesh Chan Heng Wing called on BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia in the same place around 9.30 pm.
Meeting sources said various issues relating to bi-lateral relations of the two countries and Bangladesh’s latest political situation came up for discussion at the meeting.
BNP accuses EC of violating the Constitution
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) accused the Election Commission (EC) for violating the Constitution.
It has referred to remarks made by Election Commissioner Abdul Mobarak, standing in for the Chief Election Commissioner, over the BNP’s joining the Upazila polls despite boycotting the Jan 5 national elections.
“The Election Commission can’t make such comments. It is a gross violation of the Constitution,” senior BNP leader Rafiqul Islam Miah said Wednesday at a party event.
On Mar 30, EC Mobarak said that the BNP had no hesitation about participating in an election managed by the EC even while complaining that the body lacked credibility.
“Her (Khaleda Zia’s) party is now contesting the election supervised by us,” he said.
The BNP chief has repeatedly said that the EC, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad, lacked spine and was subservient to the government.
Speaking during a ‘human chain’ formed to demand release of senior BNP leaders on Wednesday, BNP Standing Committee member Miah came down hard on the EC’s role during the Upazila polls.
“The whole electoral process has collapsed. The people have witnessed (in the media) how ballot papers have been snatched and stamped,” he said.
The ruling party had trailed the BNP in the first two phases of the Upazila polls. But it surged ahead in the subsequent phases, the BNP alleges, through concerted rigging and intimidation.
After the fifth phase, polling at 459 out of 487 Upazilas is over. Results have been announced from 454 Upazilas so far.
The Awami League now has 231 Upazila chairmen while the BNP has 161 after the five rounds of the staggered polls.
Taking in Jamaat’s 35 and LDP’s one, the BNP-led 19-Party alliance now has a total of 197 chairmen.
Source: Weekly Holiday
