The Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson, Khaleda Zia, on Friday urged people to totally boycott the ‘farcical’ election scheduled for Sunday.
She gave a clarion call to people to carry out ‘democratic movement’ in a situation when she was under ‘house arrest.’ ‘I call upon countrymen to fully boycott the disgraceful farce in the name of election of January 5. None at home and abroad would give legitimacy to this farce as election,’ Khaleda said in a statement signed by her press secretary Maruf Kamal Khan.
She said that the ‘frightened’ government cordoned off her residence by law enforcers after she announced peaceful ‘march for democracy’ programme.
‘I am not being allowed to go outside. The government virtually kept me under house arrest without any announcement. My office and BNP central office are under siege. In this situation I made a clarion call to people to carry out democratic movement,’ she said.
The leader of the opposition said that she was not afraid of house arrest or jail or oppression. The autocratic government, isolated from the people and world community, can no longer stay in power only depending on terrorism and state machineries.
Criticising ruling Awami Legaue leaders for threatening to uproot the opposition after January 5 branding it terrorist organisation, Khaleda said that the ruling party men caught red handed for arson and bomb attacks on transports, house of a judge and houses of Hindu community country were not being tried.
The BNP chief said it was already published in different news media that AL instructed its men to show the presence of increased number of voters at polling centres and cast false votes.
She said that rule of gun was introduced everywhere so that people cannot protest legally against this farce and snatching voting rights.
She said that the AL was arranging a shameless farce in the name of election in less than half of the seats of parliament to grab state power.
She said a bad chapter of destroying democracy was going to be made with the cooperation of subservient Election Commission and seriously abusing law enforcing agencies.
Khaleda said that January 5 would remain as a ‘black day.’
-With New Age input
