Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia will join party’s Naya Paltan headquarters Sunday anyhow to make the ‘March for Democracy’ programme
demanding electing under a non-party neutral administration and postponement of the 10th parliamentary poll, party insiders said.
BNP’s vice-chairman and former minister Major Hafizuddin told a hurriedly called press conference at the National Press Club that they
protest obstructions created by the police in the movement of 18-party workers from different parts of the country to Dhaka in the
March for Democracy, and said there was still time to grant permission to the rally which he reiterated will be peaceful.
We have nothing but only one demand, holding of free and fair election under a non-party neutral government, he said adding that the
government would bear the responsibility for trouble because its elements announced their plans to resist the Naya Paltan rally.
Major Hafiz said that all bus, rail, steamer and launch communication to the city were stopped by the government to thwart the march for
democracy. 18-party workers coming to Dhaka were being arrested on different pleas. But AL workers were holding rally welding sticks
under guard of members of law enforcing agencies in Dhaka.
“Khaleda Zia will reach her party’s Naya Paltan central office at her convenient time. If she is obstructed on her way to Paltan, the
18-party alliance will go for another course of fresh movement instantly,” said a standing committee member seeking anonymity.
The sources said Khaleda Zia is scheduled to leave her Gulshan residence at about 2 pm towards Naya Paltan and inspire her party men
and followers to continue the anti-government.
Leaders and activists of the party’s several front and associate bodies have been asked to take position on the street in front of the
party’s Naya Paltan central office in the early hour of Sunday, the sources said.
Syed Motzzem Hossain Alal president of Jatiyatabadi Juba Dal told Journalists that the antigovernment campaign will spread out across
the country if Khaleda Zia is obstructed on her way to Paltan on Sunday.
“We cannot play any game in the name of politics keeping our party chief hold by the government hostage at her Gulshan residence. We will
make the March for Democracy programme successful anyhow,” the youth front boss said.
The capital Dhaka has already been split into several parts. The capital’s every ward and thana unit president and secretaries of the
youth front have been asked to take the street with good numbers of people so that police cannot launch indiscriminate attacks on them, he
added.
“We are already equipped with all kinds of preparation to beat the government on Sunday. We expect that the government would show its
democratic norms in the interest of the peace and political stability,” Alal said.
Meanwhile, BNP vice chairman Hafiz Uddin Ahmed at a press conference at the National Press club said that BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia will
be present at the March for Democracy programme in front of the party central headquarters at any cost.
Despite denial of the authority concern to stage the programme, BNP will start the programme between 10 and 11 am today (Sunday), Hafiz
said.
Responding to a query, he said the government will be held responsible if any untoward incident takes place centring the programme.
He assailed the government for asking its party men to take on the streets equipped with sticks and staffs to resist the arrival of the
opposition party men to make the programme a success.
The government has kept hostage the whole country by rejecting trafficking of public transports on road, rail and waterways, he
alleged.
The BNP leader again urged the government to allow BNP to hold the programme to ensure democratic continuation.
Besides, BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said the ruling Awami League itself has created blockade like
situation across the country for indefinite period using the state machineries in a bid to thwart the BNP-led 18-party’s ‘March for
Democracy’ programme in the capital schedule for Sunday.
Alamgir has made the allegation in a written statement sent at different media outlets on Saturday.
“The government has stopped trafficking of all sorts of public transports on road, rail and waterway across the country to hinder our
March for Democracy programme. It has isolated the capital Dhaka from the entire country to achieve its goal,” he said.
Calling upon the nationalist forces and people from all sections to take to the street in front of the party’s Naya Paltan headquarters on
that day, Alamgir said the government has enforced unannounced section 144 across the country to prevent the huge gathering in the capital.
He also assailed the law enforces including the joint forces for launching indiscriminate raids at different residential hotels and
restaurant in the capital and said they are just spreading panic in peoples mind to frustrate the programme.
Terming the government as fascist, the BNP leader said the joint forcers are conducting raids at the residences of leaders of the
opposition party men and ransacked their house in the name of search.
In the name of anti-crime crackdown, the joint forces also harassing family members of 18-party alliance leaders, he alleged in the
statement.
Alamgir sought attention of the local and international level human rights organisation in this regard and asked them to take effective
measures on humanitarian ground to prevent the government inhuman activities.
At least 90 percent people want holding of the national poll under a non-party caretaker government while it is heading towards a farcical
election ignoring the people opinions. It will bring unpleasant consequence for the ruling Awami League, he opined.
“People are the source of all power and the peoples’ antigovernment campaign with be able to reach the goal immediately,” he said. – Staff
Reporter
