Polls keeping Khaleda, Hasina in jail unacceptable

Khaleda Zia backed BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain yesterday said any polls keeping the BNP Chairperson and Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina in jail would not be acceptable.
The two former prime ministers and all the political leaders must be released immediately for holding the elections peacefully, said Delwar at a view-exchange meeting with the lawyers of Dhaka Ainjibi Samity at its office in the capital.
He said both the leaders have been locked up in a bid to prevent them from participating in the polls. But no elections keeping them behind bars would be acceptable, he added.
Delwar said the country's economy has collapsed as an unelected government remains in power for a long time.
The BNP leader urged the people from all walks of life to press home the demand for holding a free, fair and credible election as early as possible.
He also called upon the caretaker government to lift the state of emergency immediately to create an election-friendly atmosphere.
The meeting was chaired by Samity General Secretary Golam Mostafa Khan.
It was attended, among others, by former attorney general Abdur Rezzak Khan, BNP acting Office Secretary Rizvi Ahmed, lawyers Lutfe Alam, Sanaullah Mia and Masud Ahmed Talukder.