Bnp chairperson Khaleda Zia on Monday called countrywide blockade protesting obstructions created to holding her party and alliance’s ‘democracy killing day’ rally and non-conceding of the demand for fresh elections under a non-partisan caretaker government to restore what she termed the voting rights of the people.
As her second attempt to come out of her Gulshan party office to go to Nayapaltan to attend her party and alliance’s scheduled rally failed due to strong obstructions given by law enforcers, Khaleda waited inside her car car at the office’s porch before taking to journalists braving police’s repulsive pepper spray that injured a number of her party workers and on-duty journalists.
She had tried to go out of the office first at noon when police put her office firmly under lock and key. Some journalists present there reported police told them that the BNP chairperson might be allowed to go out of there only if she wants to go back to her residence, a point memtioned by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on the day before when she said Khaleda had not been confined.
Khaleda told journalists, these people tell lies. You have seen important people, even man like former President Prof. Badruddoza Chowdhury was not allowed to see me, the gates of the office were locked, excessive number of police personnel were deployed and she was not allowed to go to attend her rally. Yet they say they have not obstructed my movement.She said she had asked for security because members of BCL had created a violent situation in Bakshibazar when she last went to a special court. If I am given security they will go with me anywhere I go to give me the needed security. But here they are obsturcting her movement. She said her party had made it clear that they wanted to hold a peaceful rally. The government had also announced its plan to hold a rally. What was the harm, she exclaimed to assert that those in the government are afraid of the people because the people did not vote them to power. This explains why Secton 144 was imposed to foil her alliance’s rally.
She said that police’s tackling of the situation was not even handed, as opposition workers and supporters were attacked by police wherever they saw them, but allowed pro-government activists to organise rallies and bring out processions in the metropolis. People’s basic rights have been trampled. The people want to get beck their right to vote, she said.
Khaleda Zia said the people did not cast their votes in the 05 January election last year, as lone candidates in 153 seats were declared elected unopposed while people did not to the remaing constituencies to cast votes, and eighter dogs were found resting at those or presiding offercers sleeping. The young voters who got their right to franchise were deprieved of the opportunity to vote for the first time in their life, she said.
The government was afraid of the people also because of the limitless corruption that had originated from the top like fish rot from the head. Replying to a question she said the government had blockaded the country on Monday to prevent BNP workers from coming to Dhaka. ‘This blockade would continue,’ she said.
The former prime minister said that obstucted by law enforcers, her party and alliance workers org nised scattered programmes all over the country on Monday. Those programmes also came under attack of law enforcing agencies and the armed ‘hoodlunms’ of the AL who operated under police cover. She exclaimed, which country we are living in now – it had been turned into a police state. Abductions, enforced disappearances and killings were continuing unabateded. This government is playing with people’s blood, she complained to add that ‘with this blood the people will bring you down’.
Khaleda Zia said her party and alliance had nothing against the police, but the force had been undermined by those of a particular district and BCL cadres. They are affecting police’s image. Don’t violate the law at their instigation because ‘you also have families and children, can you open fire on them’.
She criticised the government for closure of transmission of Ekushey Television (ETV) as it was relaying the developments at Gulshan live. She thanked her party and alliance workers for making Monday’s programmes all over the country a success and urged them to continue the blockade ultill further instructions. She thanked also the journalists for taking the pains of collecting information about the developments day and night to transmit news.
Earlier Khaleda Zia’s special assistant Shimul Biswas addressed the press immediately after she was obstructed for a second time in the day from going out from her office. At one stage during the second attempt, women workers of Bnp started agitating against the obstruction vehimently. Police from outside the gate sprayed pepper powder and immobilised them.- Staff Reporter
