BNP distributed leaflets across the country, including the capital, on Thursday demanding the release of its chairperson Khaleda Zia from jail.
BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi launched the programme by distributing leaflets among pedestrians in front of party’s Nayapaltan central office around 10:15 am.
BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was scheduled to inaugurate the programme but he could not join it as his mother fell sick suddenly.
He, however, went to BNP’s Nayapaltan central office around 1:30pm and distributed leaflets, headlined ‘withdrawal/dismissal of corruption cases of Tk 15,000 crore against Sheikh Hasina VS Khaleda Zia’s conviction in a baseless and politically motivated case’ among people demanding Khaleda’s release.
In the leaflet, the party said the people’s court will determine what punishment Sheikh Hasina and others accused of committing thousands of crores of Taka corruption should get since Khaleda Zia was sent to jail even after not committing corruption of a single Taka.
Talking to reporters, Rizvi said their party leaders distributed leaflets all over the country, including different points in the capital.
In the leaflets, he said, they stated how their chairperson has been ‘subjected to injustice’.
The BNP leader said they will continue their peaceful movement and ensure the government’s fall through it.
Meanwhile, huge law enforcers were deployed in Nayapaltan area following the BNP’s leaflet distribution programme.
Later at a press briefing at their party’s Nayapaltan central office, Rizvi alleged that police obstructed their peaceful leaflet distribution programme at different parts of the country, including Thakurgaon, Bogra, Manikganj, Moulvibazar and Bandarban.
The BNP leader also said police arrested some of their leaders and left many others injured by attacking their programmes.
He demanded the government immediately release their arrested party leaders and followers, and called upon it not to obstruct their peaceful programmes.
BNP’s last programme was countrywide demonstration on Monday demanding Khaleda’s release and protesting police action during its recent black-flag demonstration programme.
After the jailing of Khaleda, the party observed different peaceful programmes, including human-chain, sit-in, token hunger-strike and protest procession in four phases, demanding the party chief’s release.
On February 8, Khaleda Zia was sent to jail after a special court sentenced her to five years’ rigorous imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.
