Khaleda won't apply for release

Detained former prime minister Khaleda Zia has taken a firm stand that she will neither apply to the caretaker government seeking release nor accept parole.
“The government has arrested me and it is the government's duty to free me. Cases against me are all politically motivated. I will not apply for release, I want to be freed with honour,” she was quoted by her lawyers as saying.
Khaleda's lawyers Ahmed Azam Khan and Shimul Biswas met her at the makeshift jail in the parliament complex yesterday and had nearly a 45-minute conversation with her.
Emerging from the meeting, Advocate Azam Khan told the news agency that Khaleda Zia expressed concern over delay in sending her son Tarique Rahman abroad for treatment.
About her registration as voter, Khaleda said she will be voter as a free citizen from her house at Shaheed Mainul Road in Dhaka Cantonment, not from jail.
The lawyers said the BNP chairperson believes that country's independence, sovereignty, democracy and public property are at stake. She urged the people to remain alert against the “conspiracies”.
The immediate-past prime minister called for a free and fair general election in a neutral atmosphere as she said an elected government can only salvage the people and the country from this situation.
Khaleda also called for recasting the Election Commission as she said the commission is “biased” and hence a free and fair election is not possible under this EC.
Quoting Khaleda, Advocate Shimul Biswas said the former prime minister described the armed forces as pride of the nation and said it is the responsibility of all to keep them above all controversies.
The BNP chairperson said her party does not believe in politics of revenge and always stresses national unity and prefers national interest to all other considerations.