The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Thursday sought the intervention of Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury to free leader of the opposition Khaleda Zia from confinement at her Gulshan residence.An eight-member delegation of BNP led by opposition chief whip Joynal Abedin Faruque sought the intervention during a meeting with the Speaker at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban on Thursday morning.
Meanwhile, a BNP parliamentary team will call on with President Abdul Hamid at 4:00pm on Friday. The President gave the appointment in view of the application of the BNP, party sources said.
Briefing reporters the opposition chief whip said the Speaker assured them of talking to the minister for home affairs and taking necessary steps about the matter.
He said the BNP parliamentary delegation that reached the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban at 10.00am submitted a memorandum to the Speaker in this regard.
Faruque said they sought the interference of the Speaker as to why Khaleda Zia was confined.
“We wanted to know as to whether the opposition leader is arrested and the Parliament is alive. We wanted to know the reason behind withdrawal of protocol Khaleda Zia,” he said.
The memorandum said Khaleda Zia is still leader of the opposition as Parliament is alive but she was confined at her residence from December 24.
“Nobody is allowed to go in and out of the residence of opposition leader,” it said.
It further said additional members of law enforcing agencies have been deployed in front of the residence of the opposition leader after the announcement of March to Dhaka for Democracy programme by her on December 24.
Besides, the memorandum said the law enforcers created barricade in front of the residence of Khaleda Zia by parking sand loaded trucks and she was not allowed to go out from her residence.
Khaleda Zia, who is also the BNP chairperson, has been virtually under house arrest since December 24 evening. She was prevented to go out on December 29 and 30 to join the Dhaka March programme in front of the party headquarters at Naya Paltan in the city.
Ashraf Uddin Nizan, MP, Nilufar Chowdhury Moni, MP, Syeda Ashrafi Papia, MP, Harun-or-Rashid, MP, among others, were present on the occasion. – Staff Reporter
