STAFF REPORTER
Dhaka,Mar 7-BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia yesterday asked her party leaders to continue peaceful movement ignoring provocation from any quarter.“She (Khaleda) asked the leaders not to pay heed to anyone’s provocation and continue the ongoing peaceful movement,” said BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir after meeting with the former premier in old central jail at Nazimuddin Road in the city.Earlier an eight member BNP delegation led by him went to the old central jail at about 3:15pm to meet her for the first time a month after she has been convicted for five years in a graft cases and sent to jail.Mirza Alamgir said they found Khaleda in strong morale and she was facing all adversities with courage and determination.“As always her thought revolves mainly around the welfare of the country and the people. She is ready to embrace any sacrifice for the sake of country and its democracy,” he said.The BNP leader said Khaleda requested them to convey the message to people through media that she is in strong morale and her health condition is good.“With discussion with her, we understood that she has a strong morale in the prison and she thinks that the truth will be established,” he said.Replying to a question, he said they met the party chairperson with the permission of the ministry of home affairs that allowed their eight members of the standing committee upon an application.He told another questioner that the BNP chairperson has been kept in the prison based on a false case.The BNP leader accused the government of trying to prolong the imprisonments of Khaleda by resorting to different tactics.He however hoped that all the impediments would be removed and said the ongoing movement to free the former premier through legal battle would be continued.The BNP secretary general said they are conducting the movement in consultation with the party acting chairman Tarique Rahman, who is now in London. The BNP delegation stayed inside the jail for about one and half an hours and came out at about 4:45pm.The other member of the delegation are BNP standing committee members-Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Barrister Moudud Ahmed, Barrister Jamiruddin Sircar, Dr Abdul Moin Khan, Mirza Abbas, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury and chairperson’s private secretary ABM Abdus Sattar.Two other standing committee members-Lt Gen (Retd) Mahbubur Rahman and Nazrul Islam Khan, who were also in the list, did not join the delegation. Huge number of party leaders and supporters thronged in front of the jail gate amid tight security to hear from the party leaders about their leader.A special judge’s court on February 8 in the verdict of Zia orphanage trust graft case sentenced the former prime minister to five years in prison and sent to old central jail.
