BNP Chairperson and leader of the opposition Khaleda Zia on Friday announced a countrywide dawn-to-dusk hartal for Tuesday in protest against the Awami League led government’s “mass killing, corruption, misrule and oppression, report agencies.BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia said people should take instant initiative to stop the countrywide ‘mass-killing’ conducted by members of law enforcing agencies in name of preventing Jamaat-Shibir men.
Addressing a crowded press conference at her Gulshan office, she said,“We can’t sit as silent spectators at a time when the government has resorted to genocide. I’m urging the people to take to streets.”
Khaleda Zia said her party would stage demonstrations across the country on Saturday protesting what she described the government-sponsored terrorism and genocide.
The party will bring out procession from in front its central office at 3 PM on Saturday, she said urging the people to join it.
Earlier, Jamaat-e-Islami, partner in the BNP-led alliance of 18 parties, had announced two-day countrywide hartal from Sunday.
The BNP chairperson reiterated her demand to hold national elections under a caretaker government to protect democracy and people’s fundamental rights. The country, she said, was being pushed toward a situation of instability with the intention of shifting people’s attention from its failures and corruption.
Describing Thursday’s countrywide clashes between the law enforcing agencies and Jamaat-Shibir as ‘genocide’, she said, “It’s beyond our imagination that a government can do it against its own people.”
Sounding a note of caution, Khaleda Zia said the consequences of such acts would be dangerous. Referring to the killings, she said, “ ruling party’s armed men were joining the members of law enforcing agencies in such killings.”
She was critical of the government for not taking any step for proper investigation of the killings to hold fair trial.
Referring to the pressure for arrest of journalist Mahmudur Rahman, she said the government was giving its support to a group in its provocative and illegal activities.
There were threats for closure of TV channels and newspapers which wrote against the government, she said.
The country, she said, was passing through a critical juncture of time which was never witnessed since the country’s liberation. The whole nation, she alleged, had been divided.
In this context, she said, “ We liberated the country in 1971 taking a stand against such genocide. I urge the law enforcers not to use the arms on the people which have been bought with their money. Your sacred duty is to protect their lives not to take away their lives.”
Khaleda Zia urged the people to raise their voice against the killings. She expressed solidarity with the people in resisting what she termed “fascism.”
“I would like to ask that no more shots are fired,” she said. “We will build resistance along with the people if the government chooses the path of repression,” Khaleda Zia said.
She was sharply critical of the prime minister for expressing solidarity with the Shahbagh movement and calling upon the tribunal judges to take into account people’s expectations as well.
On February 10, the Prime Minister in Parliament said the tribunals would deliver judgments according to the law, but they should consider the people’s expectations while giving verdicts on war crimes cases.
Khaleda Zia said that in such a situation it was impossible for any judge to conduct trial and deliver verdict impartially and independently.
“Every citizen is worried as their security is threatened,” she said urging the government not to obstruct holding of peaceful protest of the people.
Standing committee members including party’s acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir were present.
(Source: Agencies)
