BNP learns from its mistakes

BNP chief and former prime minister Khaleda Zia yesterday admitted to making mistakes in running the country.

Khaleda, also a former leader of the opposition, at a rally of engineers, said her party, learning from the mistakes, had taken an “elaborate work plan” to build a prosperous Bangladesh and solve the country's existing problems and crises.

She, however, did not elaborate on what mistakes they had made and what lessons she had learned.

Asked, BNP standing committee member Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman, who was present at the rally, told The Daily Star that he was not aware of any such work plan.

“But I think the BNP chairperson has some innovative ideas regarding development of the country,” he added.

Khaleda said, “Under this work plan we will drive all merit, quality, capability and workforce in one direction.”

The Association of Engineers, a pro-BNP professional body, organised the rally titled “democracy for development” at the Institution of Engineers in the capital.

“People gave me the mandate to run the country a couple of times out of their love for and trust in me. My experience has been enriched through carrying out these responsibilities. We have also identified our past mistakes,” she said in a written statement.

In her around-30-minute speech, Khaleda urged Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina again for talks with the BNP for holding an all-inclusive national election afresh.

At the same time, she also warned her political archrival that “there is no reason to think that people would wait for an uncertain period for the dialogue”.

“We are now preparing and organising our parties. We are also coordinating other social forces. We are going to people and presenting our statements before them. We are also taking their opinions. We will have to take to the streets taking people with us to put pressure [on the government] and realise people's demand if no initiative is taken after end of this part [ongoing work to organise BNP].”

The BNP chief called upon the people in advance to take part in that movement to save the country and democracy.

“BNP is a democratic political party that practices patience. We do not want conflict, tension and unpleasant situation or to wage tough street movement all on a sudden. But people will have no alternative to taking to the streets if all doors [to a peaceful solution] were closed.”

Portraying a sorry state of the country's roads, economy, gas, electricity, employment, business, banking sectors, law and order, education, and drug abuse among youths, Khaleda said this situation could not go on forever.

“Stability of the entire region, not only of Bangladesh, will be threatened if this situation went on.”

The BNP chief said Hasina had said holding the January-5 “farcical” election was necessary due to constitutional requirement and dialogues [with the opposition] would continue and there would be a fresh election dissolving parliament if there was an understanding to that end.

“But she [Hasina] has forgotten that promise and is now refusing to sit for a dialogue. But today once again I urge them to return to the path of dialogues,” she added.

The BNP chief lambasted the government for its move to restore parliament's authority to remove the Supreme Court judges. She said independence of the judiciary would be harmed if that power was given to the “illegal and unelected” parliament.