Khaleda must be arrested for 'killing people'

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia must be arrested immediately as she is responsible for killing people in the name of blockade and hartal, Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan said yesterday.

"We would like to urge the Prime Minister to arrest Khaleda Zia and take legal action against her for the sake of protecting people and the country's independence," he said.

The minister claimed the BNP-Jamaat alliance is now killing people in the same way as the Pakistani occupation forces began genocide in 1971.

"Khaleda Zia is the mastermind of this genocide. We, the cross-section of people, will protect the country's independence by breaking her fangs," he said.

"Pakistanis have become active to foil our independence. They now want to get rid of the anguish of defeat. That is why the Pakistanis are providing finical assistance and patronising the anarchists," he claimed.

Yesterday Shajahan was speaking at a rally organised by newly floated Bangladesh Sramik-Karmachari-Peshajibi-Muktijoddha Samannay Parishad at the Central Shaheed Minar.

At least 50 people were killed, nearly 350 people got burnt in arson attacks and thousands more got injured since Khaleda called the indefinite blockade from January 6.

Addressing the rally, Shajahan, also convener of the parishad, said Khaleda Zia would have to take responsibility for these subversive acts.

He also announced a series of programmes to resist the ongoing violence in the name of blockades and hartals.

Officials, employees and workers of all offices, business institutions and industries are to stand on streets for 15 minutes from 12:45pm tomorrow.

All vehicles are to honk for one minute, all shop owners and workers are to play the flute for one minute and all farmers are to stand up for one minute at 1:00pm the same day, according to the parishad's call.

On Saturday, the parishad will hold a national convention from where its leaders will announce tougher programmes to protest the blockade and hartals.

"We will announce such programmes that Khaleda will not get the chance to flee from the country," the minister said.

Bangladesh Muktijoddha Sangsad Central Command Council Chairman Helal Morshed Khan and former Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority chairman Abdul Malek Miah, among others, spoke at the rally.