140 ex-BNP MPs demand release of Khaleda

Some 140 former lawmakers of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) yesterday demanded unconditional release of party's Chairperson Khaleda Zia.
In a joint statement, they also demanded release of all ailing BNP men, including Tarique Rahman and Arafat Rahman Koko, to facilitate their treatment abroad.
The statement said the government would be held responsible if anything happened to Tarique and Koko for not arranging their treatment abroad.
The former lawmakers of the immediate-past ruling party clearly said BNP “will not participate in any election other than the national election”.
BNP Joint Secretary General and former state minister Selima Rahman read out the statement at a press briefing at BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain's Nam flat.
Over 30 former MPs from among the signatories were present at the briefing. They are Begum Sarwari Rahman, Shajahan Chowdhury, Shamsuzzaman Dudu, Principal Sohrab Uddin, Khairul Kabir Khokon, Ashraf Uddin Nizami, Abdul Momen Talukdar, Nurul kabir Shaheen, Syed Mehedi Ahmed Rumi, Selim Reza Habib, Shirin Sultana, Fahima Hossain Jublee, Helen Zerin Khan, Saimum Begum, Rezina Akhtar, Nure Ara Safa, Rehana Akhtar Ranu and Arly Sultana.