Khulna – BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia on Sunday reiterated her resorlved to wage a decisive movement after October 25 if the government does not restore caretaker government system by the time and sought the cooperation of all, including the members of administration, army, police and
Ansar-VDP, in forcing the government out.
“We want to see until October 25 as the government tenure will expire by the time…we’ll announce stronger programmes after October 25,” she
said.
Khaleda Zia said this while addressing a mammoth public rally organised by the BNP-led 18-party at the city’s circuit house ground in the afternoon.
Pointing at the both civil and military officials, the former premier said, “Please don’t do anything that can obstruct democracy. We want
everybody’s help to save the country and its democracy as well as welfare of the country.”
The BNP Chairperson said people had already showed the Awami League the yellow card when they elected a BNP-backed candidate as the Khulna
City Mayor.
“The people have awakened. They don’t think this government is able to organise a fair election,” she claimed.
Khaleda asked the government to place the bill on a non-party government in Parliament by Oct 25. “We will not go to polls held under Sheikh Hasina, never. Not only that, that election will not be allowed and will surely be resisted.”
Thousands of opposition leaders and activists from 11 districts of Khulna Division had thronged the venue of the rally which kicked off at 2pm.
During her 50-minute speech, the opposition leader criticised the Awami League-led government for its ‘failures, misrule, corruption’,
issues regarding the upcoming parliamentary elections and the opposition’s movement for a nonpartisan government to oversee the polls.
Khaleda also alleged that an Awami League leader was threatening to ‘send government officials home’ if they did not work for ‘organising
a unilateral election’.
“The government has understood that stealing won’t help. That’s why an Awami League MP is threatening government officials.”
“(The government’s) time is over. You won’t have the power to send [anyone] home. Rather you’ll be sent back home.”
“The government says many officials will lose their jobs if the BNP comes to power. This is wrong. The BNP does not practice the politics
of vengeance. We won’t fire anyone from their job. Instead, those who were sacked from their job by this government will be reinstated.”
In the mammoth gathering, Khaleda urged the government to immediately roll back the coal-based power plant at Rampal of Bagherhat as it will
destroy the world heritage Sundarbans.
“We wouldn’t let anyone allow building any power plant at Rampal. Stop it… relocate it elsewhere. If the power plant is built there, the
Sundarbans will vanish,” Khaleda said.
Pointing at The National Committee to Protect Oil Gas Mineral Resources Power and Ports, which has been waging a movement to resist
the government’s effort to build power plant in the area, Khaleda said, “We’re with you. We’re ready to work together in the country’s interest.”
The former premier said that Awami League means capture, loot, terrorism, corruption, famine, repression. “If this party is not
ousted, it won’t be possible to restore peace in the country and provide jobs to youths.”
Khaleda observed that the government wants to hold the election under its own arrangement to avert the debacle it will face if it is held
under a non-party caretaker government system.
“There’ll be no election under a party government and even no one will be allowed to hold it like that,” she added. – UNB
