UNB, Dhaka :
Alleging that the current regime did not take any initiative for holding fresh polls though her party has given it 10 months’ time to do so, BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia on Monday night said she will announce a decisive movement after their upcoming mass campaign to dislodge the government.
“We had stopped our agitation after the January-5 election and given this illegal regime a 10-month time for holding a free and fair election under a non-partisan administration through talks. But, they (govt) are thinking that there’s no need for any election as BNP is not on movement,” she said.
Khaleda came up with the remarks while exchanging views with the BNP-backed upazila chairmen, vice chairmen, women representatives, municipality mayors of BNP’s nine organisational districts in Rajshahi division.
The BNP chief further said, “We’ll again get back to action programme after carrying out a mass campaign… I’ll come up with a call for the movement in due time. You take preparation in your respective areas so that you can respond to my call any time. We must oust this regime and save the country and its people from killings, enforced disappearances and misrule.”
Khaleda said they will launch a countrywide mass campaign through her visit to Lalmonirhat district on October 23 in a bid to increase people’s involvement in their movement to force the government to hold a fresh election under a non-party government. The campaign will end on November 12 through her visit to Kishoreganj.
The former Prime Minister came down hard on the government for its repressive acts and killings and enforced disappearances of people, saying the regime is worse than Pakistani army and autocrat HM Ersahd. “They (govt) often talk about Pak Army, but they’ve become worse than the Pak Army. They are even worse than autocrat Ershad.”
She alleged that the members of Rab are killing and making people disappeared in freestyle. “This illegitimate regime can’t avoid responsibility for it. They must face trial and get punished one day.”
Khaleda also called the government sick. “Those who kill and make disappear their own country’s people and throw their bodies into jungles or into the rivers after killing them are human? They’re sick and wrong-headed ones. Wrong-headed people can’t ensure people’s welfare and develop the country.”
Portraying the government’s failures in different sectors, Khaleda said this ‘shameless, liar, killer and repressive government’ should have quit much earlier shouldering its failure to run the country. “But they won’t quit. They rather want to perpetuate power. They don’ t bother about public sufferings and problems as they’re busy protecting their illegal power.”
She alleged that the current government has indulged in widespread corruption and the menace has spread everywhere in the country. “From the government’s No-1 person to lowest one are engaged in looting and corruption.”
The BNP chief asked the local body representatives to mobilise public opinion against the government showing the documents of its misdeeds, corruption and repressive acts.
She claimed that her party is carrying out the movement not to go to power but to restore people’s voting and other rights-democracy, justice, and ensuring good governance.
Claiming that their decision to boycott the January-5 election was right, Khaleda said, “We’d boycotted 1986 election under Ershad. Had the BNP been vanished at that time? Rather, people brought us to power in 1991. Work for people, they’ll surely put you in power,” she told her party men.
Khaleda assured that her party, if voted to power, will strengthen the upazila parishad and allow the upazila representatives to excise their full authority and work for people. “The MPs will perform their designated duties. The upazila parishad representatives will stay in their respective areas and work for people’s welfare.”
Mentioning that upazila chairmen, vice chairmen and municipality representatives are now the real representatives of people, she advised them to work for people as per their ability and not to indulge in corruption and misuse public money.
BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, chairperson’ s advisers Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, Fazlur Rahman Patal, BNP joint secretaries general Mizanur Rahman Minu, Salauddin Ahmed andRajshahi City mayor Mosaddek Hossain Bulbul, were, among others, present.
Earlier on Saturday night, Khaleda exchanged views with the representatives of local government bodies under Chittagong division.
