UNB, Jamalpur :BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia on Saturday said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina must sit with BNP for talks over holding a fresh general election in a free and fair manner as BNP is the country’s largest and most popular party.”There’s no point of sitting with so-called parties and thugs. You (PM) must engage in dialogue with BNP as it’s the largest and most popular party of Bangladesh,” she told a mammoth rally organised by the 20-party alliance at Jamalpur Zila School ground.Criticising the Prime Minister for her remarks at a press conference at the UN Headquarters that there will be no talks with BNP, the BNP chief further said, “There’ll be no gain by holding dialogue with Jadu, Madhu, thieves and dishonest (political leaders),” she said.Refuting Sheikh Hasina’s comment that BNP has made a blunder by boycotting the January-5 election and it must pay for it, Khaleda said they did not make any mistake rather they proved that people were not with them as country’s 95 percent did not go to cast their votes.Issuing a note of warning to the government, the BNP chief said it is not BNP but the ruling party will have to pay dearly for their various misdeeds, corruption and repressive acts when Awami League will be made accountable to people.Khaleda, also a former prime minister, alleged that the government has resorted to various plots and evil designs to split BNP and its alliance and keep BNP away from election.Apparently accusing the intelligence agencies of trying to divide BNP and its alliance, she said they know everything what they aredoing through agencies, and the names of the agencies.”Stop these illegal activities. Don’t do anything beyond your jurisdiction otherwise you won’t be spared. You’ll be made accountable and pay for it.” Khaleda warned the government agencies.Slamming the government for restoring parliament’s power to remove Supreme Court judges, the BNP chief said, “Now the services of judges are placed under Sheikh Hasina’s disposal. They (judges) will be in office as long as Hasina wants them to. We don’t accept such a law. No fair trial can be held by crippling the judiciary. Judges must have full freedom to ensure justice.”Khaleda said judges are now delivering verdicts as per the government’ s instruction not judging the merit of cases.The former prime minister also said not only the judiciary but all other institutions, including the Anti Corruption Commission, Public Service Commission, media and administration, have been brought under the control of Sheikh Hasina to perpetuate her illegal power.Claiming that AL has totally failed to run the state, Khaleda called upon Hasina to quit with grace.She also threatened to wage a strong movement after Eid-ul-Azha and called upon people of all walks of life to join it to restore democracy, the rule of law, ensure good governance and root out corruption. “We must oust the killer Hasina-administration waging a movement across the country to hold an election under a non-party administration.”Mentioning that the country’s law and order situation deteriorated sharply due to Awami League men’s involvement in criminal activities, including killings, abductions and muggings, the BNP chief branded AL as a party of killers, muggers and hooligans and terrorists.Khaleda called upon police forces not to carry out any illegal order of the illegal Awami League government. “You (police) can at best arrest people and produce them before court. But you cannot engage yourself in carrying out killings and force enforced disappearances.”About the national broadcast policy, she alleged that it was framed to gag the media so that no one can criticise the government and raise their voice against it’s misdeeds even in talk shows.Thanking Finance minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhit for his recent remarks that it was wrong to appoint bank directors in political consideration, Khaleda said, “It means the government has failed to run the country. Now Mr. Muhit should say they will quit the office shouldering their failures.”About the recent books of Sharmin Ahmed and AK Khandakar, Khaleda said, “Whenever anyone criticizes the Awmai League they are being branded as razakars and agents of ISI (Pakistani intelligence Agency). But Awmai League is the party of rajakar and collaborator. They are agent of a country I don’t want to mention its name as you all know the name.”Earlier in the day, Khaleda reached Jamalpur district town at 2:30pm to join the rally.Her tour was aimed at mobilising public opinion in favour of the BNP-led 20-party’s demand for a fresh election under a non-partisan government.It also meant for mounting pressure on the government to stop extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances and repressive acts, and revoking the national broadcast policy and 16th amendment to the constitution.
