BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia threatened to launch tougher movement to unseat the ‘illegal government for restoring the democracy and protecting the country’s sovereignty’. She urged the people to get ready for the movement after the upazila election. The BNP chief said these in a mammoth public meeting at Rajbari district town on Saturday. She criticised the Jatiya Party alongside with the ruling Awami League and said that there is no real opposition in the 10th Parliament. Questioning the Jatiya Party for its dual role, she said, “There is no example that a party is in the government and in the opposition simultaneously. But Jatiya Party is doing this.”The BNP chief hit the government for continuous torture against the leaders and the activists of the BNP and the alliance partners. She alleged that the government intensified its repression of the people during the upazila election, as the government did not want the 19-party alliance in the election. “There is no alternative to movement to unseat the illegal government. Get ready for a tougher movement after the upazila election,” she said. She accused the AL of vote rigging in the upazila election. It has proved again that holding of fair election is not possible in any way under the AL-led government, she said, adding if the elections were held in free and fair atmosphere, the AL would win fewer seats. The BNP-led 19-party alliance organised the rally at Shaheed Abdul Aziz Khushi Railway Maidan in the district town with the district BNP president Ali Newaz Mahmud Khoiyam in the chair. BNP Acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, standing committee member Barrister Moudud Ahmed, vice chairmen Selima Rahman and Sadeque Hossain Khoka, Jatiya Party (Zafar) chairman Kazi Zafar Ahmed and LDP president Col (retd) Oli Ahmed also addressed the rally, among others. Khaleda Zia, along with some senior leaders of her party, left Dhaka for Rajbari in the morning. On her way, she offered fateha by the grave of former BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain at Gheor upazila in Manikganj. Later, she met the family members of the late leader.The BNP chief visited Rajbari district as part of her move to reorganise the party. She will visit some other districts soon to encourage the leaders and the workers of the 19-party alliance for waging a tougher fresh movement for the mid-term polls, party insiders said. This is Khaleda Zia’s first visit to a district after January-5 polls. Khaleda Zia projected different scenario of the January-5 election and said the people sent the message boycotting the election virtually. Their decision was correct, she said. The former prime minister accused the ruling party of snatching the basic rights of the people. The government will continue repression if it sustains in the power. She also said that the young generation is not aware of the Awami League’s character. They should know about the party. It can’t do anything good for the country and its people, she added. Referring to 2009 Peelkhana carnage, she said the Awami League’s hands got bloodstained and the party can never do anything good for the country.She blamed the government for the incident of snatching three JMB militants. She said that there would be no room for terrorism in the country and no one would be allowed to use the land for terrorism in the country.In her speech, the former premier also gave some commitments to the people of Rajbari. She said that the BNP-led alliance would build a bridge on the river Padma if it comes to power through a fair election under a non-party caretaker government. She also promised of establishing a university in the district.
