Staff Reporter :BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia has urged the city-dwellers of Dhaka and Chittagong to take a ‘silent revenge’ against the government for its misrule and misdeeds by casting votes for the BNP-led 20-party alliance-backed candidates on April 28 city polls.She made the call at a press conference at her Gulshan office in the city on Sunday. “We have taken the city polls as a test case for the government and the Election Commission. I urge the citizens to go to the polling centres early in the morning and protest if you find irregularities. I also urge you to guard the polling centers, and not to leave those until the vote counting is over. Return home only after receiving the results of the election,” she said Khaleda Zia said that the ruling party’s calculations and equations have been redundant, seeing the public support for the 20-party alliance-backed candidates in the city corporation elections. “The Awami League has also lost its senses seeing the mass support,” she said. Expressing the hope that their candidates will achieve landslide victory in the elections, she said that she was delighted to see the people’s support and love for her party. “Our candidates will win the city polls,” she added.The BNP chief in the press conference also sought votes for Mirza Abbas in Dhaka South, Tabith Awal in Dhaka North and M Manjur Alam in Chittagong City Corporation.Pointing at the voters, she said, “Vote is a strong power of the people, and you please apply this judiciously to bring about a silent revolution.” She also said if the government changes the result through criminal activities, it would be proved again that free and fair election is not possible under the ruling government. Khaleda Zia alleged that the AL-backed candidates are violating the electoral code and using cash to buy votes. “Take the money, but vote according to your conscience,” she told the voters. She also accused the Election Commission of working as a puppet body of the government, as the EC wants to hold another farcical election like the January-5 polls. The BNP chief reiterated her demand for Army deployment the days before and after the polls, alleging that the government is creating panic to prevent the voters from reaching polling stations. “Army must be deployed with magistracy power for free and fair city election,” she said.In light of the recent attacks on her motorcade, she blamed the Awami League, Sramik League and Chhatra League for the attacks, while police backed the attackers. She said that the pro-government people raised several attacks as part of the conspiracy to kill her during the polls campaign, but she was ‘saved by the grace of Allah’. “Armed terrorists opened fire aiming me. I only have faith over Allah and support of people,” she said. She criticised Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for calling the attacks as ‘drama’. The attacks were instigated by the PM and ministers, she alleged. She asked the PM not to think herself great as she was elected in an uncontested election. “The state power has turned risky for you. Change your envious and impolite mentality,” she said. Talking on sexual assault that took place during the Pahela Baishakh celebration, she said that the government has lost its right to stay in power, as it has failed to provide security to the people.About Ashulia bank robbery, the BNP chief said that the incident is an example of current situation of the country. “Government keeps the ruling party activists beyond law. Anarchy is going on in the country. Bangladesh has turned into a terrorist state. The terrorist state should be changed into a democratic country,” she said.She termed the Awami League as champion of terrorism. She, however, claimed that her party doesn’t believe in the politics of killing and violence. Mentioning repression on her family members, she said that she is living in the country alone for the sake of the country. Her only alive son Tarique Rahman is staying aboard following torture on him. She lost her younger son Arafat Rahman Koko when she was facing the hostile behaviour of the government. At one stage of remembering the recently deceased son, Khaleda Zia burst into tears in the press conference. The BNP chief also criticised the government for its corruption. The government filled its pocket with money under the pretext of massive projects but it did not do anything for the country’s citizens, she said. She also pointed the issue of missing BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed and claimed that the law-enforcers picked up the BNP leader. “We are worried. Bring him back to his family as soon as possible”, she said.Also talking about the polls-time government system, she said that most of the people in the country excluding the ruling party want an election under non-partisan and impartial government.
