BNP forms human chain for release of Khaleda
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has called for a united movement to press home the demand for party chief Khaleda Zia's release.
The BNP leader said their only goal is to free Khaleda from jail.
“We call upon all parties to unite under the demand of Khaleda Zia's release. Let us get her out of jail and restore the voting rights of the people. There is no alternative to restoring democracy,” Mirza Fakhrul said at a human chain programme yesterday.
As part of a countrywide human chain programme demanding Khaleda's release, BNP's Dhaka city unit formed the human chain in front of the party's Nayapaltan headquarters.
“We know the government has imprisoned our chairperson only to prevent its fall and obstruct our movement to restore democracy,” the BNP leader said.
Leaders and activists formed the human chain around 10:15am. They were holding banners, festoons and placards and chanting various slogans in support of their demand.
The agitation programme ended peacefully around 11:50am in presence of huge law enforcers.
Fakhrul also alleged that the government is mentally torturing Khaleda by keeping her in an abandoned prison. “Now they are not even allowing anyone to meet her.”
BNP standing committee member Khandakar Mosharraf Hossain, who also spoke, alleged that the government is hatching conspiracy to repeat the undemocratic election of January 5, 2014. “That is why they have kept Khaleda Zia behind bars in a false case.”
Meanwhile in Chittagong, BNP leaders said the government would not be successful to bar Tarique Rahman from returning to the country.
Depositing one's passport does not necessarily mean giving up nationality of the country, they said in a human chain formed by the Chittagong city unit BNP in Kazir Dewri area.
Shahadat Hossain, president of Chittagong city unit, said as per section 126 of the constitution, the officers of the executive body of the government would be under the Election Commission during the national polls and so the EC may ask the Ministry of Defence to deploy army.
“Deployment of army is necessary to hold a free, fair and participatory polls,” he said. He alleged, “Obaidul Quader went to India to make the next national election a farcical one, but the Indian government has asked them straight to hold a free, fair and participatory polls… Quader's attempts went in vain.”
In Sylhet, BNP leaders formed the human chain in front of Sylhet Central Shaheed Minar.
Speakers said the government is trying to put mental pressure on Khaleda and thus kept her at a separated cell of a deserted jail.
Sylhet City Mayor and BNP central committee member Ariful Haque Chowdhury, district unit president Nasim Hossain, general secretary Ali Ahmed, metro unit general secretary Badruzzaman Selim, among others, spoke at the programme.
In Bogra, the district BNP formed a human chain in front of the District BNP office on Nawab Bari Road.
Speakers alleged that the government has kept Khaleda in jail with a “deceptive” verdict and is not paying attention to her treatment.
The party has also formed human chains in other districts across the country to press home its demand.
Comments