Friday, March 29, 2024

Khaleda gives govt 48-hr ultimatum for CG system

Opposition Leader Khaleda Zia on Saturday gave a 48-hour ultimatum to the government for announcement accepting BNP’s demand for an interim non-party caretaker government for holding the next general election in the country. “We have already given you a lot of time for declaration about a non-party and neutral caretaker government for overseeing the next poll. We cannot give you anymore time,” she told the government at a mammoth rally amidst thunderous applause at Shapla Chattar of Motijheel.
Apparently firm on her party’s long-standing demand for a poll-time caretaker government, Khaleda Zia wanted to know from the crowd if they would gather again after the 48-hour deadline if asked to do so, the crowd instantly responded with one voice: “Yes, yes!”
Khaleda Zia, also the leader of the 18-party alliance which organized Saturday’s rally, extended an invitation to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to sit down for dialogue over a cup of tea. She, however, said the central point of any dialogue with the government must be caretaker government issue as demanded by them.
The BNP chief, who is also a two-time former prime minister, stated in clear terms that a mere proposal for talks does not go far enough. The government must make a categorical statement that the next election would be held under a neutral and non-party caretaker government.
The opposition leader said the restoration of the caretaker government for overseeing the next general election is extremely important for democracy, people’s rights and national interest. “Make the declaration on caretaker government and then come to participate in the next election,” she asked Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Khaleda Zia laughed off the initial verbal invitation for talks extended to her by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and said it was a ploy to keep the 18-party alliance led by her party BNP from holding Saturday’s pre-announced rally.
“If you do not set up a neutral and non-party caretaker government, the consequence will be very grave,” she warned the government.
She described the proposal of Sheikh Hasina for talks with the opposition as a mere “drama” and challenged her to prove that the prime minister is serious enough by making a categorical announcement on the restoration of a non-party and neutral caretaker government within the next 48 hours for conducting the next general election in the country.
“You make the announcement on the restoration of the non-party caretaker government within the next 48 hours, otherwise we will go for such a tough programme that will make you quit or flee in fear,” the opposition leader told the government and said: “In such a case, we will gather for our rally anywhere we like without seeking any permission from anybody.”
At this point, the former prime minister wanted to know from the crowd if they are ready to stage a sit-in at Shapla Chattar in Motijheel for next 24 hours to press home their demands, the crowds burst into jubilation and responded once again with one voice “yes, yes” raising their arms in the air to her delight.
Tens of thousands of people started gathering at Shapla Chattar in the heart of the commercial district of Motijheel from the capital city and its suburbs since mid-morning carrying multi-colored placards and festoons and chanting various pro-opposition and anti-government slogans. Some came beating drums and creating a carnival-like atmosphere at Motijheel.
Besides BNP, a large presence of the activists and supporters of the component parties of the 18-party alliance including Jamaat-e-Islami and its student front Islami Chhatra Shibir was noticed at the rally that stretched up to the Paltan Crossing on the west, Fakirapool Crossing on the north and Ittefaq Bhaban on the south. Both BNP and Jamaat-Shibir activists also demanded release of their leaders at the rally.
BNP chairperson and leader of the opposition Khaleda Zia termed the ruling Awami League as killer, corrupt and failed saying it has no right to remain in power.
The premier now is speaking in favour of humanity which is not suitable for her. She was above humanity when she enforced the non-stop agitation on the streets demanding holding of general election under a non-party caretaker government in 1996.
She asked Sheikh Hasina to recall what was done from 1991 to 1996 demanding general election under a non-party caretaker government.“Setting fire, killing people using gun powder inside a passenger bus and enforcing stick and oar movement were carried out in line with the directive of the then leader of the opposition Sheikh Hasina,” she said. Awami League has failed to ensure people’s welfare during its almost four and a half year administration. The country’s overall economy including the readymade garment sector and real state business is on the verge of collapse due to the government’s failure, she alleged. No new gas, water and electricity connections were set up during the current term of the government. Even no educational institute was approved during the same period, she said.
Khaleda Zia, also chief of the 18-party alliance said the countrymen are being deprived of employment opportunity though there was the government commitment to ensure job for at least one member each family.
“The country’s judiciary and administration have been made partisan. Impartial judgment is not being ensured due to the interference of the premier office and concerned ministry,” she added.
Describing the Home Minister MK Alamgir as “a crazy person”, the former premier said the home minister was the sole agent of anti-liberation forces. The government should keep him away from the cabinet, he said.
She also claimed that several anti-liberation forces belong to the ruling Awami League. If BNP comes to power in the next poll, all the war criminals who committed crimes against humanity in 1971 will be brought to book for trial, she warned. Referring to the Savar tragedy, she said the country’s RMG sector has been destroyed and the ruling party influentials and armed cadres are responsible for this.
She blamed the government for providing special facilities to the owner as well as the Awami League’s youth front leader Sohel Rana in the name of taking him on remand.
Khaleda Zia said crack was sighted on the wall of the Rana Plaza five days before it collapsed. Despite this, owner of the building gathered RMG workers in the risky building to foil the opposition’s hartal programmes on the day.
She also accused the government of failure to ensure quick salvage operation in Rana Plaza.
Khaleda Zia criticised the premier Sheikh Hasina for call to take part in the parliament and said the government does not allow BNP to speak in the house and to hold rally on streets protesting its misdeeds and mismanagement.
Holding the government responsible for all religious riots including Ramu and Ukhiya, she said, “religion is personal but the state is for all. There is no room for militant in the country. The government is cooking up plane in the name of militant.”
Khaleda Zia said the government has sent to jail several leaders of BNP-led 18-party alliance in fabricated and motivated cases.
“Please, ensure their immediate release and withdraw false and motivated cases against them paving the way of holding dialogue over non-party caretaker government issue,” she appealed to the prime minister.
The former prime minister said the daily Amar Desh acting editor, Mahmudur Rahman was being tortured behind bar’s as he published all records of the government’s misdeeds and mismanagement through his newspaper.
“Please ensure immediate release of Mahmudur Rahman and withdraw the cases lodged against him,” she said and asked the government to withdraw the embargo imposed on the publication of the newspaper, for the sake of freedom of the press.
She asked government to refrain from setting up a coal based power plant at Rampal near Sunderban.
“If the coal based power-plant is set up there, we will incur huge loss financially and ecologically Sunderbans will be totally destroyed and with it will disappear all birds and animals.
About the activities of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), she said the elite force has been formed in a bid to curb criminal activities in the country.
BNP standing committee member Moudud Ahmed said Ayub Khan who was the president of Pakistan had withdrawn Agartala conspiracy case to reach a mutual compromise with Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
“Our premier Sheikh Hasina can do the same by releasing the opposition party’s detained leaders.
BNP leadersM K Anwar, Khandakar Mosharraf Hossain, Abdul Moeen Khan, Rafiqul Islam Mia and several alliance party leaders including colonel (retd) Oli Ahmed, Andalif and others spoke at the rally with Sadeque Hossain Khoka convenor of the Dahaka city unit BNP in the chair.

-With The Independent input

Related News

bKash communications chief Mahfuz Sadique dies at 40

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Mahfuz Sadique, chief communications officer of mobile financial services firm bKash, passed away in Bangladesh capital Dhaka Friday morning. He was 40. Mahfuz died around 9:00am while undergoing treatment at a hospital in the capital, bKash said in a statement. Mahfuz, who began his career as a journalist at New Age, ... Read more

Prices for potatoes increase by 229% from the previous year

Prices for potatoes varied from Tk16 to Tk22 per kg at this time last year. News Desk : dhakamirror.com Despite the presence of both new and old potatoes in the market, potato prices have soared by 229% compared to late December last year. According to the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), the selling price for ... Read more

LGED engineer dead, UNO among 3 injured in Panchagarh car crash

News Desk : dhakamirror.com An engineer of the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) was killed and three other government officials were injured when the vehicle of a UNO hit a roadside tree in Panchagarh Sadar upazila early today. The deceased was identified as Abu Sayed, 33, upazila engineer of LGED from Pirganj upazila of Thakurgaon. ... Read more

UNHCR calls for rescue of Rohingyas stranded in Andaman Sea

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The United Nations (UN) Refugee Agency, UNHCR, has made an urgent appeal to all countries in the region, particularly those in the area surrounding the Andaman Sea, to swiftly deploy their full search and rescue capacities in response to reported vessels in distress with hundreds of Rohingya at risk of perishing. ... Read more

Over 200 RMG workers injured in Comilla while evacuating factory during earthquake

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Over two hundred garment workers in Cumilla’s Chauddagram have been injured while trying to evacuate the factory building of Amir Shirt Garment Limited during today’s earthquake. A 5.5 magnitude earthquake at a depth of 10km jolted Dhaka, and parts of the country at 9:35am today (2 December). The epicentre of the ... Read more

Daughter hacked father to death in Chattogram

News Desk : dhakamirror.com A father was hacked to death by his own daughter during an altercation over a trivial matter at Lohagara upazila in Chattogram on Friday (1 December). The deceased was identified as Abdur Rahman, 50, of Putibila Sarai village under the upazila. Police have detained the daughter, Humaira Begum, 23, soon after ... Read more

HSC results: Dhaka has most GPA-5 achievers, while Barishal has highest pass rate

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Dhaka had the highest number of GPA-5 recipients in the HSC exams, while Barishal Education Board had the highest pass rate among nine educational boards. Education Minister Dipu Moni announced today that the overall pass rate in the nine general boards is 75.90 percent. In terms of pass rates, Barishal ranked ... Read more

PSC postpones 45th BCS written tests

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The Bangladesh Public Service Commission (PSC) has decided to postpone the written tests for the 45th Bangladesh Civil Service examination, which was scheduled to be held on 27 November. The announcement came through a notification signed by Ananda Kumar Biswas, the exam controller of PSC, issued on Friday. PSC held a ... Read more

After stabbing younger sister to death woman ‘kills herself’ in Hazaribagh

News Desk : dhakamirror.com A woman reportedly killed herself after stabbing her younger sister to death in the capital’s Hazaribagh area today. Police said the incident took place in the Kalunagar area at around 12am on Monday (13 November). The deceased have been identified as Jasmine Akhtar, 44, and her younger sister Nasreen Akhtar, 30. ... Read more

Oman stops issuing new visas to citizens of Bangladesh

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The Sultanate of Oman has suspended the issuance of visas across all categories for Bangladeshi nationals, the Royal Oman Police (ROP) said on Tuesday. The decision was effective from Tuesday, reported Oman-based English newspaper the Times of Oman referring to the Royal Oman Police. The report said that the ROP confirmed ... Read more

Dhaka girl Nupur takes over as chairman of Unilever for a day

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Seventeen-year-old Nupur from Dhaka, had the opportunity to take over Unilever’s chairman position for one day on Thursday. There, she symbolically carried out the roles and responsibilities of Zaved Akhtar, the chairman and managing director of Unilever Bangladesh, said a press release. Nupur being an active youth club member, works for ... Read more

Hospitals must follow guidelines, orders HC

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The High Court on Thursday asked the government to take steps to make it compulsory to follow the relevant guidelines for the prevention of performing unnecessary caesarean section surgery at government and private hospitals and clinics. The court has also directed the government to widely circulate the guidelines within six months. ... Read more

Woman delivers birth to five babies at DMCH

News Desk : dhakamirror.com A woman has given birth to five premature babies. The quintuplets were born at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) at 10am on Thursday to Mansura Begum, 22, the wife of CNG driver Md Mamun from Bandardia village in Shibpur upazila of Narsingdi district. One of the newborns, however, died shortly ... Read more

Tk8.44 cr fine imposed to Kazi Farms, 3.44 crore to Suguna Food

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The Bangladesh Competition Commission has fined Kazi Farms Group and Saguna Food and Feeds on charges of market manipulation causing abnormal rise in broiler chicken prices. BCC officials said that the companies must deposit the fine amount to the BCC within 10 working days. If they fail to deposit the fine ... Read more

Heritage volunteers visit national museum

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The heritage volunteers participating in UNESCO World Heritage Volunteers Programme 2023 visited national museum in Dhaka on Sunday. The ten-day workshop programme organised by Nagar Upakhyan-Perceive started on October 1, said a press release. The Heritage volunteers’ team visited national museum which is on the UNESCO World Heritage tentative list on ... Read more

Fare for Bangladesh-India trains to increase from November 10

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Ticket prices of three inter-country trains on Bangladesh-India routes are going to be hiked from November 10. The fares are going to increase due to high exchange rate of US dollar and rising travel tax, according to the Bangladesh Railway officials. The trains are – Maitree Express on Dhaka-Kolkata, Bandhan Express ... Read more

Man, nephew killed by lightning

News Desk : dhakamirror.com A man and his nephew were struck by lightning in Satarbari village of Longair union under Gafargaon upazila of Mymensingh yesterday. The deceased were identified as Sohel Mondol, 40, a trader of pharmaceutical drugs, and his nephew Razib Mondol, 35 a rice trader in the village. Quoting locals, Raju Ahmed, officer-in-charge ... Read more

TV sales decline despite World Cup: Is streaming to blame?

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 captures the attention of sports enthusiasts across the world and an intriguing trend is emerging in Bangladesh’s television market. While events of this magnitude have traditionally led to an increase in TV sales, recent figures from September show a 30% decline compared to the same ... Read more

Heritage volunteers visit Paharpur archaeological museum

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The heritage volunteers participating in UNESCO World Heritage Volunteers Programme 2023 visited Paharpur archaeological museum in Naogaon on Friday. The ten-day workshop programme organised by Nagar Upakhyan-Perceive started on October 1, said a press release. The Heritage volunteers’ team visited Paharpur archaeological museum which is on the UNESCO World Heritage tentative ... Read more

Child among three dead as mud walls collapsed in rain in Gazipur

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Three people including an eight-year-old child died in separate incidents of mud walls collapsing during heavy rain in Sadar and Kaliakoir upazilas of Gazipur. The deceased are Faridul Islam, 8, son of Matiur Rahmon of Konabari Baimile under Sadar upazila, and Imarat Hossain, 65, and his wife Achia Begum, 56, of ... Read more