Dhaka, March 6 – BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Tuesday accused the ruling Awami League of hatching conspiracy to identify the country a ‘failed state.’“The Awami League government has destroyed the democracy. Now, they (AL) are hatching various conspiracies to identify Bangladesh as a failed state,” he said while speaking at a human chain programme in front of Jatiya Press Club.
As part of the countrywide programme, the BNP organized the human chain programme demanding the release of chairperson Khaleda Zia on bail.
The BNP leader alleged that as part of the conspiracies, the former premier is being kept in jail and even her bail is not provided.
He called upon the people as well as the party leaders and activists to get united to protect the country’s independence and sovereignty.
Referring to the stabbing on popular writer Zafar Iqbal in the day light, he said they blamed the BNP for the incident without carrying out any probe.
“Those who are caught, all are the AL men. That’s why question raises whether the AL wants to turn the country into an ineffective country and state of militants,” he said.
He blamed the government for carrying out a subservient foreign policy and said no neutral election could be held under the present government.
Mirza Alamgir said Khaleda has to be released, parliament has to be dissolved and a level playing should be created for all.
Standing committee member Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain criticised the government for delay in the bail process of Khaleda and expressed his astonished that the case documents could not reach the High Court a distance of three miles in 10 days.
Barrister Moudud Ahmed said Khaleda has been sent to jail in a false and fabricated case and the government is not providing her legal rights of obtaining bail.
Mirza Abbas, Nazrul Islam Khan, Barkatullah Bulu, AbdulAwal MIntoo, AZM Zahid Hossain, Ahmed Azam Khan, among others, addressed the function.
Meanwhile, the plainclothes law enforcers detained of Swechchhasebak Dal president Shafiul Bari Babu from BNP’s human chain programme.
A number of aggrieved party supporters were seen throwing motorcycle helmets on the law enforcers when they were picking up Babu from the programme.
The aggrieved supporters allegedly vandalised some window panes of the Secretariat protesting the detention.
BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said he got the information that Babu was detained by the DB police.
He strongly condemned and protested the arrest of Swechchhasebak Dal president and demanded his release immediately.
Hundreds of BNP leaders and activists formed the human chain as part of their countrywide protest demanding release of Khaleda. Senior party leaders and activists gathered in front of Jatiya Press Club since 10:00am with placards and chanting slogans, blocking one side of the road.
Huge number of law enforcers cordoned off the protesters to fend off any trouble.
BNP’s districts, city units are also scheduled to observe the programs at their convenient time and places.
As a part of its two-day fresh peaceful protest programme across country, the BNP will stage a sit-in on Thursday demanding the release of former premier.
After the jailing of Khaleda, the party observed different peaceful programs, including leaflet distribution, countrywide demonstration, human chain formation, sit-in, token hunger strike, protest procession in five phases, demanding her release.
Earlier on February 8, BNP chief Khaleda Zia was sent to jail after a special court sentenced her to five years’ rigorous imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.
A team of Detective Branch of police picked him up while he was returning home from the press club area after joining BNP’s human chain programme around 11:45am. – Staff Reporter
