BNP chief Khaleda Zia’s elder son Tarique Rahman has called for a boycott of the Jan 5 parliament polls in Bangladesh. He sent his appeal through a video message posted on the website of a social media. Tarique Rahman is BNP’s Senior Vice Chairman and has been living in London since 2008 for medical treatment.He lambasted the government for trying to hold a ‘farcical’ election. “The time has come for all of us to prevent and boycott the Jan 5 polls. Not for personal interest but for the sake of the country’s existence,” said Rahman.
The 18-party Opposition alliance led by the BNP has called a 48-hour nationwide strike from Saturday to thwart the poll. Polling centres in different parts of the country have been set on fire since Friday night amid the Election Commission’s preparations to hold voting in 147 constituencies.
The BNP leader described the ongoing agitation as one to ‘restore democracy’. “A lot leaders-activists and general people have lost their lives in the movement to uphold democracy.
“The time has come to bury all differences to achieve one goal — stop the farcical elections.” Calling upon the government to postpone the polls, Tarique said: “Sheikh Hasina had said that she would sacrifice the most. She wants peace, not Premiership. And the pre-requisite for that peace is to stop this election.”
He also said that the Leader of the Opposition and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia has been put under ‘house arrest’, an allegation the government has denied persistently.
“The two adversaries now are not the BNP and the Awami League or the alliances they lead. It is now a fight between democracy and autocracy, the force that upholds the interest of Bangladesh versus the force in favor of another country, the people’s desire for freedom versus a ruler’s desire to hold on to power.”
He asked the people to decide on which side they were on. “It’s your decision, which side you will take judging the current situation. Our movement is for the non-party and neutral caretaker government which all of you believe is integral for a credible election. So, this is not only our movement but yours as well,” said the Senior Vice Chairman of BNP. -bdnews24.com
1st day hartal marked by attacks, violence; BNP man killed
The first day of the 48-hour nationwide hartal, enforced by the 18-party alliance alongside its ongoing nonstop blockade programme demanding cancellation of the Jan-5 election, was marked by the killing of a BNP man and widespread arson attacks on polling stations across the country on Saturday. The shutdown, which began at 6am and will end at 6am on Monday, is also meant for registering the opposition’s protest against the reported confinement of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia to her Gulshan residence. Meanwhile, the nonstop road-rail-waterway blockade enforced by the opposition combine on Wednesday passed off its fourth day on Saturday. In Lalmonirhat, a local leader of Swechchhasebak Dal was killed in a clash between Awami League and BNP activists at Shafirhat village in Patgram upazila in the morning. The deceased, Mobarak Hosain, 32, was president of Baura union ward No 4 unit of BNP’s volunteer front and son of Altaf Hossain Munshi of the village. Besides, at least 96 polling centres, set up mostly in schools, were set afire in different districts, including the capital, from Friday night to Saturday evening. The arson attacks on polling centres were reported from Bogra, Laxmipur, Pabna, Netrakona, Kishoreganj, Feni, Brahmanbaria, Bagerhat, Pirojpur, Sylhet, Sunamganj, Manikganj, Kushtia, Natore, Dinajpur, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Moulvibazar, Jhenidah, Sherpur, Tangail, Kurigram, Naogaon, Sirajganj, Comilla, Gaibandha, Mymensingh, Khulna and Barguna districts. Besides, opposition activists snatched and set fire to election materials, including ballot papers and boxes, in Chittagong and Gaibandha. In the capital, miscreants set fire to a launch at Sadarghat Launch Terminal while exploded six crude bombs at the VIP terminal of the launch terminal and Moghbazar. Anti-election activists vandalised a train at Ishwardi Railway Station in Ishwardi upazila, leaving 10 passengers injured. In Magura, two people suffered burn injuries when blockade supporters set two trucks afire near Barnanduali Brac office in the town on Friday night. In Satkhira, law enforcers recovered 3 kg of gunpowder and two bottles of acid from Bhomra Land port area in Sadar upazila. According to reports reaching the UNB news desk, several vehicles were damaged, over 50 people injured in clashes between pickets and ruling party men, over 40 establishments, including educational institutions, vandalised and around 50 opposition men arrested in different districts, including Pabna, Kishoreganj and Jessore. The opposition alliance has been on nonstop agitation programmes since the Election Commission announced the election schedule on November 25 fixing the balloting date for January 5. – UNB
