Sylhet – Opposition leader and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson Khaleda Zia has called for formation of all-party Sangram
Committees centring each polling centres across the country, to stop the ruling Awami League holding one sided elections.
“Form Sangram Committees with all parties to resist the Awami League from holding the elections without supervision of the neutral,
caretaker government. No one sided polls will be allowed to be held,” the BNP chief told a mammoth rally at the Alia Madrassa ground here on
Saturday.
“No polls under AL or Sheikh Hasina”, Khaleda told the rally amid thunderous applauses from thousands who turned the entire city into a
human sea braving inclement weather.
“Hathao AL, Hathao Hasina (drive AL as well as drive Hasina) after October 24”, she said urging people to go all out for the agitation to
restore the non-partisan caretaker government.
She reiterated her stand that no agitation for CG if the ruling AL brings a bill for CG in the parliament, reaffirming that her party to
cease agitation for it. She reminded the AL the it was they who had agitated with Kamaat on the CG issue. Jamaat was good a company but
now it has become a bad companion.
If the AL comes to power again, it will ‘swallow the country’ Khaleda said, while bringing a litany of charges against the ruling party,
urging the people not to trust the party returning it to power again.
Alleging a reign of terror unleashed by the government in the country, especially tortures on detainees and youths, Khaleda referred to the
Shibir president Delwar in this regard alleging tortures on him.
Blasting arch rival Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for seeking vote for the AL again giving her another chance, the opposition leader accused
her of breaking all her electoral pledges and riddling the country with corruption permeating every sector.
They have gobbled up funds before the bridge could span the Padma, nationalised banks had been robbed systematically with the scams like
the Hall mark scam, Sonali Bank had been the best, but it has been robbed so much that it would take more than century to restore its
health. They have also plundered the share market, the opposition leader alleged further,
There had been no rice at Taka 10 per Kg, no jobs for each home. No free fertilizer rather prices of all these , including diesel had gone
up, she added.
Khaleda, however, reassured Sheikh Hasina that there would not be any maltreatment for her. There would not be any politics of vengeance
pursued, she added, telling many people had already packed up their baggage to flee.
Accusing AL to be unfriendly party to the minorities, the BNP chief accused the AL of carrying out hostilities against the minorities,
attacking their temples, looting homes, while referring to the vandalism at a Buddhist Pagoda in Ramu, Cox’sBazar and elsewhere.
“We and Jamaat are not against the minorities, she added, while referring to the BNP-led 18-party alliance main partner, the
Jamaat-e-Islami.
Dispelling AL charges against BNP of harbouring the militancy in the country, the opposition leader alleged it was during AL’s time in
power, the country has seen emergence of the militants. There had been bombings at Udichi concert in Jessore, bombings at Paltan and Ramna
Batamul, on Pahela Baishask.
Many terrorists like Bangla Bhai and others were taken to task and brought to book and tried during our time, the former premier said and
said, those whop are at your(AL) side should know you are better off with us, khaleda added.
Referring to the enforced disappearance of local BNP leader and former MP M Ilias Ali still untraced since early last year, Khaleda
Zia said, he was taken away for his resolute stance against the Tipaimukh Dam in neighbouring north eastern Indian state of Manipur,
which she viewed as ominous to the ecology of Sylhet region. Rivers would be dried up, affecting the areas ecology, Khaleda said.
Renewing opposition to the Indo-Bangladesh joint venture coal- fired power plant at Rampal in Bagerhat on the fringes of the huge Mangrove
forest, the Sundarbans, Khaleda said, it would not be allowed to be built there. We want power plant to be built elsewhere but not there
in the Sundarbans as what she said, would be harmful to the forest, the rivers, flora and fauna, destroying the bio-diversity, driving the
Royal Bengal Tigers, the Deers and other wild lives away from there.
It would also destroy the rivers and harming the humans too, she alleged.
BNP standing committee members Moudud Ahmed, Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Abdul Moyeen Khan, Mirza Abbas and Barrister Rafiqul Islam
Miah, ,BNP acting secretary general Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Khelefat Majlish leader Moulana Mohammad Ishaq, Islami Oikya Jote leader Abdul
Latif Nizami, BJP chairman Andalib Rahman Partho, Kalyan Party chairman Maj Gen (retd) Syed Mohammad Ibrahim, Jagpa Chief Shafiul
Alam Pradhan, among others, addressed the rally held with Sylhet City unit of BNP president MA Haque in the chair. – Staff Reporter
