Sit for talks or face hartal
There would be hartals, blockades and a non-cooperation movement, if the Sheikh Hasina-led government does not sit for a dialogue on fresh elections with the BNP before Eid, warned BNP chief Khaleda Zia yesterday.
She said fresh elections must be held under a non-party administration.
“No hartal for now. We will announce all sorts of movements after Eid and if the government creates any obstacle to our movement, we will be compelled to announce tougher programmes,” she said in a rally.
Thousands of BNP leaders and activists gathered on RB High School ground in Joypurhat braving heavy downpours to attend the rally organised by Joypurhat district BNP.
“ … Do not force us to announce hartals. Hold a dialogue beforehand [announcement of protest programmes] and hold an election to save the country and people's lives. We will accept whoever assumes power,” she said.
She claimed herself to be the representative of the country's 95 percent people who did not cast their votes in the January 5 election responding to her call to boycott the elections.
Referring to a recent verdict of the High Court that declared legal the 154 MPs who had been elected unopposed, Khaleda said no matter what the court had said, the 154 MPs were not representatives of the people.
"If the 154 unelected MPs become legal then why the 11 unelected advisers would not be legal in a caretaker government? They [unelected advisers] will not formulate any law in parliament. They will only carry out routine work and organise an election.”
Hinting at Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's recent comment that late president Ziaur Rahman had not allowed Hasina to return to the country, the BNP chief said, “This is totally false.
“It was Ziaur Rahman who brought you [Hasina] back in the country sending people to you. You signed on a paper that you had received all the valuables and properties of your family except arms.”
Regarding Zia's assassination, the former premier said there was a certain relation between Hasina's homecoming and the assassination of the BNP founder.
“You [Hasina] returned to the country on May 17 [1981] and Shaheed Ziaur Rahman was murdered 13 days later … on May 30. When everyone was in sombre mood and taking part in his janaza, you wearing a veil were trying to cross the border. Were you crossing the border fearing that you have links to the murder?” she said.
Echoing her elder son Tarique Rahman, Khaleda also claimed that it was Ziaur Rahman who had first proclaimed the country's independence as the first president of Bangladesh since nobody was there to take the helm then.
Khaleda laid down her plan to turn the country into a middle income one when her party assumes power. She said her government would give highest importance to agriculture and information and communication technology.
Portraying the sorry state of the country, the BNP chief said local and foreign entrepreneurs were not making any investment in the country due to widespread extortion, corruption and criminal activities by the ruling party men.
“But once we return to power, we will create an investment friendly environment by ensuring all the utility services, other facilities and security for foreign and local investors,” she said.
She claimed that the government was unnerved by the change of government in neighbouring India. “Awami League leaders are making unguarded remarks as they are very nervous and disappointed with the change of government in India.”
CORRUPTION PROBE
Terming the government corrupt, Khaleda said the ruling party men have stashed money in different banks abroad, including the Swiss Bank, by plundering money of the Padma Bridge project, the share market and others.
She demanded the government form an impartial probe body to find out who were involved in siphoning off money.
She lambasted the Anti-Corruption Commission and said the commission was blind in one eye or completely blind to identify who were sending money abroad.
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