Khaleda will restore democracy

Terming Khaleda Zia “the mother of democracy”, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir yesterday said the party chairperson would “restore democracy in the country”.

He also alleged that Khaleda was put behind bars as part of the government's “evil design” to hold “another one-sided” election for staying in power.

"The government wants to hold another one-sided election as it did in 2014. That's why it sent Khaleda Zia to jail," he said while speaking at a rally in Khulna. The district and city unit of BNP organised the programme demanding the immediate release of Khaleda.

The party had sought permission to hold the rally at Shaheed Hadis Park, but police allowed it to stage it in front of the party office on KD Ghos Road.

 The BNP has a plan to hold rallies in all divisional cities as part of its demonstrations to have Khaleda released from jail. Yesterday's programme was part of the agitation.

In his speech, Fakhrul said the government would not be able to “implement its blueprint to hold a one-sided election as we'll surely restore people's democratic and voting rights by freeing our leader [Khaleda] from jail”. 

He said Khaleda was kept in “solitary confinement at Dhaka's abandoned central jail.”

"But she won't bow down to any pressure and threats."

BNP standing committee members Abdul Moyeen Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, among others, addressed the programme presided over by Khulna city unit BNP President Nazrul Islam Monju.

Some 8-10 BNP leaders and activists led by Rizvi bring out a sudden procession on the road at the party headquarters in Nayapaltan of Dhaka around 6:30am on March 10, 2018. Photo: Collected

5-MINUTE PROCESSION

After staying at the party's Nayapaltan headquarters for over a month to avoid arrest, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi took to the streets early yesterday to join a protest procession.

Rizvi along with about 10 BNP men brought out an impromptu procession from in front of the party office around 6:30am demanding release of Khaleda.

The BNP leader returned to the office within five minutes. There were no members of law enforcement agencies in the area at that time, said witnesses.

The procession was brought out as part of the BNP's scheduled programme in all thanas of the capital, protesting foiling of a sit-in by police on Thursday.

According to party sources, Rizvi has been staying at the BNP office since January 30.

Talking to The Daily Star, Rizvi said, “There is an arrest warrant against me and that's why I took part in the procession early in the morning.”

Addressing a press conference at the party office yesterday, he criticised Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda for his remarks that the commission would not take any new initiative for ensuring participation of all political parties in the next parliamentary polls.

The CEC's comments and activities gave people the impression that he was not interested in holding a free, fair and neutral election, the BNP leader told journalists.

ORDER ON BAIL PETITION TODAY

The High Court bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Shahidul Karim fixed today for issuing necessary orders on Khaleda's bail petition.

The court fixed the date on Thursday after Khaleda's lawyer Zainul Abedin had prayed to it to issue an order on the petition.

The lawyer told the court that it ordered the trial court on February 22 to send the case records to it within 15 days and the timeframe expired on Wednesday.

After hearing Khaleda's bail petition on February 25, the HC bench said it would issue an order on the prayer after receiving the case records from the lower court.

The BNP chief landed in jail on February 8 after the Special Judge's Court-5 of Dhaka had awarded a five-year jail term to her in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.

(Our Khulna Correspondent contributed to file the report)