Dhaka, Dec 30 – The 20-party alliance leaders yesterday called upon the BNP lawmakers to resign from parliament and take to the streets for the restoration of democracy and the release of party chairperson Khaleda Zia. Speaking at a discussion meeting at Dhaka Reporters Unity, the leaders of 20-party alliance termed double standard the observance of democracy killing day side by side staying in parliament by the lawmakers of the sheaf of paddy.
The people will not take the double standard policy in a good manner, they added.
The 20-party alliance arranged the discussion meeting in observance the completion of the first year anniversary of December 30 parliamentary polls.
BNP standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan, who chaired the meeting, said there is no alternative to intensify the ongoing movement to resolve the political stalemate.
“We all have to determine the next political course of action. We do not want only to announce political action but we want to their implementation,” he said.
Newly elected secretary-general of Jamaat-e-Islami Miah Golam Porwar alleged that there was no voting on December 30 in the country rather the votes were rigged on the previous night.
Maulana Mohiuddin Akram of Jomiyat-e-Ulamaye Islam, Sahadat Hossain Selim of LDP, Mostafizur Rahman Iran, among others, also spoke on the occasion.
Meanwhile, the opposition BNP will now stage demonstration at Thana levels in Dhaka protesting the police barred the party to hold a rally in front of the party central office at Naya Paltan in observance of what it said democracy killing day to mark one-year completion of December 30 parliamentary polls.
“We will hold thana-wise protest programmes across Dhaka Tuesday as we could not hold our scheduled rally today (Monday) due to police obstruction,” said BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi at a press conference at the party office.
He alleged that the government is too afraid that it does not allow the opposition to organize the party’s programme to mark the “democracy killing day.”
As part of the government design to foil the opposition rally, the government has created a war-like situation by deploying plainclothes and uniformed police in front of the party central office and its adjacent areas in Naya Paltan, he added.
Earlier on Sunday, the BNP declared to hold countrywide demonstration programmes to observe ‘democracy killing day,’ denouncing the December 30, 2018, general election that witnessed widespread rigging and ousting of opposition agents from polling centres.
On the other hand, the ruling Awami League observed the day as “victory of democracy.”
Rizvi alleged that the ruling Awami League turned the whole country into a feudal state saying that they can hold rally elsewhere and anytime but the opposition parties and people belong different opinion have no such rights.
Prof AZM Zahid Hossain, Mir Sharafat Ali, among others, were present at the press conference.
IN another development, a new organization titled Ganatontra Uddhar Andolon (Movement to Restore Democracy) has been floated through holding a rally in front of Motshaya Bhaban yesterday in a bid to restore the democracy.
Convenor of Nagorik Oikya Mahmudur Rahman Manna made the announcement of the new organization.
Pro BNP and Jatiya Oikyafront leaders and individuals including JSD president ASM Abdur Rab, Joglul Haider Afrik of Ganaforum and Advocate Khandaker Mahbub Hossain Abedin and Asif Nazrul, among others, were present on the occasion.
Meanwhile, the BNP standing committee at an emergency meeting last night scrutinized the party backed councillor aspirants to give them party nomination. – Staff Reporter
