UNB, Joypurhat :
Renewing her party’s call for reaching an understanding over holding a fresh election through talks, BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia on Sunday threatened to wage a harsher movement after Eid if the government does not respond to their call.
“You (leaders and activists) are saying hartal, hartal. There’ll be no hartal right now. We’ll announce our action programme after Eid. If the government creates any obstacle to our programme after Eid, we’ ll be forced to announce hartal, blockade, non-cooperation and other harsher action programmes,” she said.
Khaleda was addressing a rally at RB High School Ground here in the afternoon amid rains.
“Don’t force us to take harsher line of action programmes. Still, there’s time…reach an understanding through talks. If you love the country, and are members of pro-liberation force as you claim, please quit immediately handing over power to a non-party administration. Everyone must accept those who will come to power through an election under a non-party administration,” the BNP chief told the rally.
Braving heavy rains since morning, several thousands BNP leaders and activists joined the rally.
In her address, the BNP chief claimed herself as the real representative of the country’s 95 percent people who did not cast their votes in the January-5 election, responding to their call for election boycott.
Khaleda said, “You (govt) must sit in talks with us. That’s why you’ ve sought legitimacy from us as a condition for holding talks.” The former premier also claimed that the government has got unnerved due to change in government in the neighbouring India. “Awami League has lost soil from beneath its feet as people are not with them. There has been a change of government in India. Awami League leaders are making unguarded remarks as they’re very nervous and disappointed with the change of government in India.”
About a recent High Court verdict that declared legal the election of 154 MPs unopposed, Khaleda said, “If the election of 154 MPs becomes legal then why the 11 unelected advisers would not be legal in a caretaker government? They wouldn’t pass any law rather they will only carry out routine works to hold an election.”
Mentioning that the ruling party men have siphoned off money to different banks abroad including Swiss Bank by plundering money from Padma Bridge project, the share market and different other organizations, Khaleda demanded formation of an impartial probe body to investigate who were involved in siphoning off money to foreign banks.
“We want to know those who siphoned off the money and action should be taken against them,” she added.
Khaleda criticised the Anti-Corruption Commission for its silence saying “whether the Commission has turned one-eyed or blind to identify who sent the country’s money abroad.” Pointing to high pass percentage in public examinations the BNP chief claimed that the government is showing the higher pass rate manipulating the results.
“Question papers have been leaked in exchange of money. They want the country’s people to remain illiterate. ..With these results, students will get such degrees which will be of no use. Awami league has taken every step to destroy the country.”
Referring to the recent drive against formalin in fruits, Khaleda blamed Hasina for her government’s unplanned drives to check the use of formalin in fruits.
“The government is tarnishing the country’s image by launching such drives. The government wants to import mangoes from abroad destroying our local mangoes. Don’t destroy mangoes in this way…destroy those after tests.”
Referring to Hasina’s recent comment that BNP was kept alive by using formalin, Khaleda said, “It is Hasina who has imported formalin …she should be held responsible for this and it will come to know where formalin was stored.”
Khaleda said, this government patronises godfathers like Shamim Osman, Joynal Hazari and Nizam Hazari on one hand it humiliates revered persons like country’s only noble laureate Muhammad Yunus on the other.
Pointing to Sheikh Hasina’s recent comment that late president Ziaur Rahman did not allow her to enter the country, the BNP chief said, “It was an absolute life. It was Ziaur Rahman who brought you (Hasina) back to the country sending people to you. You undersigned a paper that you have received all the valuables and property of your family except arms.”
About Zia’s assassination, the former PM said there was a certain relation in between Hasina’s homecoming and assassination of the BNP founder.
“You returned home on May 17 (1981) and Saheed Ziaur Rahman was murdered 13 days later…on May 30. When the country’s all people were in somber mood and busy taking part in his Janaja, you wearing a veil had tried to cross the border. Why? You did it as you were in fear as you involvement might be there in the killing.”
