BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia has said that their ongoing movement would continue until it reaches its logical consequence. Addressing a crowded press conference at her Gulshan office in the city on Friday, the BNP chief asked the people from all strata to join the movement for restoring the democracy and the voting rights. She also asked her party’s inactive men to remain active for waging tougher movement in their respective areas. “Our independence will turn pointless if we don’t fight against the autocratic government. So, make movement a success enduring the sufferings for the time in the greater interest of the nation. We are aware of the sufferings, but it is the ruling party which has no realization about it. Hanging on to power is more important to them than public sufferings,” she said. She claimed that they are on the movement to give the ownership of this country to its people.She justified the reasons behind the prolonged blockade programme that passed off its 67th day on Friday alongside the hartal on working days since February 1. Khaleda Zia is still confident about success of the programme. “This movement will be successful soon, Inshallah. It will meet its desired goal immediately,” she said.Having failed to come out of the office again on January 5, she announced the ongoing blockade programme. She has been staying in the office since January 3. Although Khaleda Zia was staying in the office like previous days and the reporters reached the venue before the schedule time 4:00 PM, she came in the briefing room 45 minutes later as usual. At the beginning of the press conference, her press secretary Maruf Kamal Khan Sohel said that the BNP chief would not entertain any question, as she wants to focus on her written statement.No senior leaders expecting those who have been staying in the Gulshan office attended the press conference. Among them, BNP standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan, the party vice chairman Selima Rahman, Mohila Dal general secretary Shirin Sultana and Khaleda Zia’s special assistant Shimul Biswas. Her adviser and former Police chief MA Qaiyyum also attended the presence conference. Khaleda Zia placed a three-point demand, including release of all political detainees, restoring the political rights of holding meetings and rallies, and arrangement of a dialogue for snap election in free and fair manner.Terming the present crisis as political and constitutional one, she blamed the ruling Awami League, particularly Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, for the crisis. “The country is passing through a critical situation and Sheikh Hasina is the main creator of the crisis. The political standoff was created following the annulment of the caretaker government system unilaterally by the 15th amendment to the Constitution and arrangement of the January-5 one-sided elections,” she said. She also said the crisis would be solved if the PM takes initiatives for a compromise or holds the election through restoring the non-party government system in the current ‘so-called’ parliament. “The key to end the crisis is in the hands of the government. We had held an election in 1996 as per Constitution and we resigned after amending it. The Awami League can do so. We hope the good sense will prevail upon the government,” she said. She alleged that Sheikh Hasina violated the commitment, as she had promised a fresh election following a dialogue saying that the January-5 election was a constitutional formality. “It was a mistake for us to retreat from the movement trusting Sheikh Hasina,” said Khaleda Zia. She narrated the government’s misdeeds and repressive acts and widespread violation of human rights. About the violence during the hartal-blockade and petrol bomb attack, she said that the government itself is killing people by hurling petrol bomb and burning people in an attempt to put the blame on the 20-party alliance. Extra-judicial killing is being conducted across the country, she added. The BNP chief demanded an international, acceptable and credible investigation into petrol bomb attack and such other incidents in a bid to ensure punishment to the real offenders. “We are on the movement to restore people’s all democratic rights, including voting one. So, people are with us and we can’t make them target for attacks which will only benefit the government. Therefore, there’s no question of having our people involved with such misdeeds,” she said.She reiterated her claim that her party’s joint secretary general Salahuddin Ahmed was picked up by the law enforcers for his media statement on behalf of the 20-party alliance. She demanded his immediate release. Otherwise, the government has to face a dire consequence, she warned. Khaleda Zia alleged that the government is carrying out a false propaganda to brand people’s democratic movement as militant activities only to ignore their justified demands. The BNP and 20-party alliance don’t believe in the dangerous politics of killing innocent people and militancy, she said. Accusing the government of using the law enforcers, including police, RAB and BGB, as weapons to subdue the opposition, she called upon members of all the law enforcement agencies to discharge their duties lawfully.
