Khaleda warns govt
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson, Khaleda Zia, on Monday warned that the ruling party would find no way to escape if it did not amend the constitution and restore the provision for the election-time ‘non-party’ government.
‘There is still time,’ she said asking the Awami League-led government to bring a bill for non-party government to the current session of parliament. She also demanded scrapping of the constitutional provision that allows holding of elections keeping parliament in place.
Addressing a large public meeting at the
Madrassah maidan in Rajshahi city, Khaleda iterated that all-out movement would be launched after October 25 if the government did not accept the opposition’s demand.
‘The ruling party would not find any escape route if it does not amend the constitution for holding the next general elections under a non-party neutral government after dissolving parliament,’ she said.
The opposition leader said the constitution was for the people. ‘It is not the holy Quran or the Bible that it cannot be changed,’ she said.
Khaleda said there was still time to hold discussions for continuation of democracy and ensuring progress of the country.
Referring to the prime minister’s call to vote for boat, the election symbol of Awami League, Khaleda accused Sheikh Hasina of violating the electoral rule.
The boat has started sinking as it has developed a hole in the bottom and the people would not get on a sinking boat, she said, adding that Hasina herself would drown by boarding the sinking boat.
She said the government wanted to hold the polls by creating new parties and asked the Election Commission not to give registration to Bangladesh Nationalist Forum as it did not comply with the Representation of People Order. Otherwise, she warned the EC of ‘dire consequences’.
She said it was ‘ridiculous’ that the BNF had sought ‘sheaf of wheat’ as its election symbol.
Referring to Sunday’s attack on a CPB-BSD rally in Sylhet, Khaleda said, ‘Chhatra League terrorists have given a new surprise by carrying out the attack.’
Referring to newspaper reports on the financial condition of the state-owned banks, she said that the Sonali Bank’s fund was almost ‘nil’ and it would need 309 years to recover.
Khaleda said the prime minister did not want to relinquish power sensing trouble for her government’s corruption.
Khaleda thanked the people of Rajshahi for electing the opposition-backed candidate to the office of Rajshahi mayor ‘foiling’ the government ‘design’ to have its candidate elected by using the administration.
She censured the government for its ‘failure’ to protest at the border killings, particularly the killing of Felani. People did not get justice in the Felani killing case as the killer had been acquitted, she said. This government could not protect the country’s independence and sovereignty, she added.
‘They [AL] want to hand over the country to others,’ Khaleda alleged. She also accused the intelligence agencies and police of working against the national interests.
Presided over by Rajshahi city BNP president Mizanur Rahman Minu, the public meeting organised by the ‘18-party’ alliance was also addressed by BNP leaders Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Mahbubur Rahman, LDP chairman Oli Ahmed, BJP chairman Andaleev Rahman, Khelataf Majlish amir Mohammad Ishaq, IOJ chairman Abdul Latif Nezami, Jamaat-e-Islami leader Shamsul Islam and Labour Party chairman Mustafizur Rahman Iran.
-With New Age input
