The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairperson and leader of the opposition, Khaleda Zia, has once again rejected any chance of compromise with the government and the ruling Awami League regarding her demand for a poll-time non-partisan caretaker government.
“There is no scope for compromise as our demand is right and justified,” she said, while speaking at a meeting held to exchange views with senior journalists at the National Press Club on Thursday.
“We are right about our demand and the ruling party did an injustice by dropping the provision of the caretaker government from the constitution,” she said, adding, “We cannot tolerate this injustice.”
“Post and designation are not important. Rather, our fight is to establish democracy in the country,” she said, expressing her determination to continue the ongoing agitation against the alleged repression carried out by the government, including torture, on opposition activists. “I am with the people and always want to remain beside them,” she said, responding to journalists’ concerns over various repressive and anti-people measures allegedly unleashed by the government.
In her brief speech, Khaleda Zia expressed her hope that “Inshallah, we will again establish a true democratic government elected by the people.”
The BNP chairperson also expressed her determination to continue her struggle for the betterment of the people. National Press Club president Kamaluddin Shabuz moderated the unscheduled discussion, in which pro-BNP leaders of the journalists’ community and members of the Press Club participated. The leaders of the journalists’ community expressed their concern over the closure of a number of media organisations by the government, including the daily Amar Desh, Islamic Television and Diganta Television. They also urged the opposition leader to launch a strong, intensive movement against any attempt to undermine the democratic spirit in the country.
They also protested against harassment of journalists by the police while performing their duty. Leaders of the journalists’ community Reazuddin Ahmed, Mohiuddin Alamgir, Ershad Mojumder, Mahfuz Ullah, Khandekar Monirul Haque, Syed Abdal Ahmed, Ruhul Amin Gazi and Mostafa Kamal Mojumder took part in the discussion.
-With The Independent input
