No need to die, just take to streets for Khaleda’s release: Nazrul

Dhaka, May 16 – BNP senior leader Nazrul Islam Khan on Thursday urged their party leaders and activists to take to the streets with courage to have their chairperson Khaleda Zia freed from jail.
“We’re saying many things about the release of our chairperson Khaleda Zia, but we’re not doing what actually we need to do. Someone here said self-immolation is necessary to free her. Anyone can do it as no permission is necessary for sacrificing own life,” he told a discussion.
The BNP leader further said, “But we don’t want you to die as we only want to free Khaleda Zia from jail. No one deeds not die for her release. Just take to the streets with bravery to ensure her release.”
Jatiyatabadi Krishak Dal arranged the programme at the Jatiya Press Club, marking the Historic ‘Farakka Long March Day’.
On May 16 in 1976, Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani led a massive long march from Rajshahi towards India’s Farakka Barrage, demanding demolition of the barrage constructed by the Indian government to divert the flow of Ganges water inside its territory.
Nazrul, a BNP standing committee member, said the government has kept Khaleda Zia in jail unfairly out of its political vengeance.
He warned the government that people are getting united to free Khaleda from jail with a strong street agitation.
The BNP leader said people in 1971 liberated the country for establishing democracy, but the current government obliterated democracy to hang onto power. “We must free Khaleda Zia first to restore democracy in the country.”
Nazrul said Maulana Bhasani had registered a massive protest against the construction of India’s Farakka Barrage through the Long March in 1976 as he was a true patriotic leader.
He said India constructed the Farakka dam on an experimental basis, but it is regrettable that the experiment is not over yet. – UNB