The-BNP led 20-party alliance on Sunday night decided to intensify the efforts for forging a greater national unity with other political parties to ‘restore’ democracy and ensure a fair election. “Our leader (Khaleda) before going to jail called for forging a greater unity among all the pro-democratic parties, organisations and individuals to restore democracy. We’re working on it,” said 20-party coordinator Nazrul Islam Kahn. Talking to reporters after a meeting of the alliance at BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office, he further said, “The meeting of the 20-party not only extended support to the initiative, but also decided to take it forward.” Nazrul, also a BNP standing committee member, said the meeting criticised the government for not ensuring proper treatment of Khaleda Zia in jail and strongly demanded the government allow her to receive treatment at United Hospital.
Besides, she said, the 20-party leaders also demanded the release of Khaleda Zia and all other political prisoners. They also demanded the government withdraw all the cases filed against political leaders and activists ahead of the national election, the BNP leader added. Nazrul said the 20-party urged all the democratic parties and institutions to come forward for forging a greater national unity with demands for holding the next polls under a non-party government, dissolving parliament before announcement of the schedule, reconstitution of the Election Commission, not using the electronic voting machines (EVMs), deploying armed forces during the election, pulling out cases against political leaders and workers and stopping harassment of them.
Apart from Nazrul, BNP standing committee members, Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Jamiruddin Sircar, Mirza Abbas, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury and the top leaders and the 20-parties, including Jamaat-e-Islami, attended the meeting with BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir in the chair.
