Fear Allah, not Hasina, Khaleda tells judges

Saying there is no independence of the country’s judiciary, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia today called upon judges to fear Allah not Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina while delivering judgments.

“You have to fear Allah. There is nothing to fear Hasina,” she said adding the Almighty Allah will try them for awarding death sentences and other punishments to people in an unjust way. 

“There is no judiciary in the country. There is not independence of judiciary and the judges,” said Khaleda, also head of the BNP-led 20-party alliance, accusing the judges of putting opposition leaders behind the bars indiscriminately and clearing the charges of the ruling party men.

Khaleda threatened of a tough movement if the prices of electricity and gas are hiked. “The movement will begin the day after you (government) will raise the prices of energy including electricity and gas.”

In her over hour-long address, the former prime minister called upon the people to remain ready to brave any inclement weather including fog, rain and sunshine in waging a movement against the government.

Saying they have provided the government with 12 months’ time to give an election in participation of all people, she asked the Awami League-led government to step down after giving an election under a non-partisan caretaker administration.

Terming AL, its youth front Jubo League, and student wing Chhatra League as “gunda (criminal) league”, the BNP chief called upon the government to stop their criminal activities including land ‘grabbing and killing’.

Khaleda reached Narayanganj at around 3:30pm. She left her Gulshan residence for the rally around 2:30pm.

Khaleda will make a fresh announcement to save people and country from the misrule, oppression, abductions and killings, BNP Joint Secretary Amanullah Aman told a press conference at the venue yesterday.