BNP to observe Dec 22 as democracy killing day

Dhaka, Dec 22 – BNP has decided to observe December 30 as the ‘democracy-killing day’, marking the first anniversary of the 11th parliamentary elections. Besides, the party decided to celebrate the golden jubilee of independence next year with due respect.
BNP standing committee members took the decision at a meeting at its chairperson’s Gulshan office on Saturday night.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said, “We think the December-30 election is one of the biggest stigmas in Bangladesh’s political history. We’ve decided to mark that day as the democracy killing day.”
Apart from BNP, he said, Jatiya Oikyafront and the 20-party alliance will take elaborate programmes to observe the day.
The BNP leader said their meeting formed a subcommittee to celebrate the golden jubilee of the independence next year with due reverence.
He said the subcommittee, headed by party standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, will work out programmes to celebrate the golden jubilee throughout the year.
Fakhrul said their party Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s health condition turned critical.
He said their standing committee decided to wage an ‘effective movement’ demanding Khaleda’s release from jail.
The meeting also expressed deep shock over the demise of Brac founder Sir Fazle Hasan Abed and conveyed profound sympathy to the bereaved members of his family and Brac.
Fakhrul said their party will send letters to The Gambia, the Netherlands and Canada thanking them for their role in taking the issue of genocide against Rohingyas by Myanmar to the International Court of Justice.
He greeted the Awami League’s new leadership elected through the party’s 21st national council on Saturday.
“As a political party, we always cooperate with other political parties. We welcome the leadership of Awami League elected through its council,” Fakhrul added.
He said their party hoped that the new AL central working committee will take steps to hold a credible national election promptly under a neutral government and the Election Commission for establishing people’s rights forgetting the misdeeds they committed in the past.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was reelected president of Bangladesh Awami League while Obaidul Quader its general secretary on the second day of the two-day national council of the Awami League at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh on Saturday. – UNB