Staff Reporter :
Police on Sunday obstructed BNP leaders from distributing leaflets among people in the capital and other parts of the country demanding its Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia’s release from jail and urging people to resist government’s efforts to revive ‘one-party rule’.
Police also detained 5 party leaders including Dr. Farhad Halim Donar, an advisor of the BNP chairperson while distributing leaflets in Mohakhali area in the city.
BNP Standing Committee Member Dr. Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain who was leading the leaflet distribution campaign in Mohakhali, condemned the police action. “Our party chief is passing days ill health in jail. We are anxious over her health condition. The party men are distributing leaflets demanding her release. Police is obstructing our peaceful leaflet distributing programme. It is not acceptable,” Dr. Mosharraf told journalists on the spot.
He said, “Such acts of the government are totally anti-democratic and it is also a black shadow on democracy.”
Senior leaders of the party took part in the programme at different parts of the capital.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir inaugurated the programme by distributing leaflets among pedestrians near BNP’s Nayapaltan central office around 12:45pm. Mirza Fakhrul said they have taken a vow to free their chairperson from jail through a peaceful movement.
Replying to a query, Mirza Fakhrul said, the ruling party Awami League is campaigning for next polls spending public money. But they are obstructing others to run any peaceful political programme.
He said leaflet distribution is a part of the peaceful movement to attain public supports.
“Through the leaflets, we call upon people to be vocal against the unlawful and conspiratorial jailing of our chairperson and thwart the government’s blueprint of suppressing the opponents and their voice. It is a plot to restore one-party rule,” he said. He said their party leaders and activists will continue distributing the leaflets across the country for few more days. The party secretary General said they will then announce the next party programme.
