BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia on Tuesday night threatened to wage a strong movement after Eid to force the government for arranging a fresh national election.
“Get ready, time is coming…Everybody is speaking about movement, movement and movement. We’ll announce our action programme after Eid,” she said.
Khaleda issued the threat while exchanging views with the newly-elected BNP-backed upazila chairmen and vice chairmen of Dhaka division at her Gulshan political office.
She, however, did not make it clear whether they will initiate the movement after Eid-ul-Fitr or Eid-ul-Azha.
Mentioning that her party men could not properly carry out movement before the January-5 election at different parts of the country due to obstructions by law enforcers and ruling party cadres, the BNP chief said, “This time the government can’t resist our movement. When people will get united and take to the streets, they’ll get bewildered and fail to fire shots.”
BNP, which boycotted the January-5 election, has taken part in the upazila polls.
Khaleda on various occasions said her party will launch a movement after the upazila polls. As the elections in most upazilas have already been held, she now issues the fresh threat to do it after Eid. The former Prime Minister said there had been no voting on January 5 and the people of the country and abroad did not accept the election.
“The country’s people want a free and fair election to be held as soon as possible in the country. Hold a fair election, or else, you (govt) will be ousted through the movement.”
Congratulating the newly-elected upazila chairmen and vice chairmen, Khaleda said, “You’re the real representatives of people and elected with their votes. Work for people of your respective areas, and stand beside them at the time of their joy and woes.” Reiterating her party’s demand for disbanding RAB, Khaleda asked her party men to chase if anybody goes to arrest BNP men in the name of the elite force.
She said the government has annihilated democracy by imposing an autocratic rule on the country’s people.
Calling upon the government to rake lesson from the history, she said no autocratic and anti-people regime could hang onto power in the past rather had to face dire consequences. “You also must quit. Hold the election immediately if you want to escape public wraths.”
BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and standing committee member ASM Hannan Shah, among others, spoke at the programme.
