Dhaka, Feb 14 – As part of its countrywide programme, BNP leaders and activists started observing a 6-hour hunger strike in the city on Wednesday morning demanding the release of its chairperson Khaleda Zia from jail.The programme began around 10am in front of the Jatiya Press Club. It will continue until 4pm.
Several hundred leaders and activists, including party standing committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Moudud Ahmed, Nazrul Islam Khan, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, joined the programme amid tight security by police.
BNP’s different district and city units are also scheduled to observe similar programmes at their convenient time and places.
Earlier, BNP leaders and followers formed a human chain in front of the Jatiya Press Club on Monday and staged a sit-in programme in front of party’s Nayapaltan central office on Tuesday protesting the jailing of Khaleda Zia by a lower court in a graft case.
A special court convicted former prime minister and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and sentenced her to five years’ imprisonment in the much-talked-about Zia Orphanage Trust graft case on February 8 last.
She was then sent to the old central jail at Nazimuddin Road in the city.
Five other accused in the case, including her son and BNP senior vice-chairman Tarique Rahman, were sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment each. The court also fined the five accused Tk 2.10 crore each. – UNB
