The leader of the opposition in the parliament, Khaleda Zia, breaks fast with juice offered by the daughter of BNP leader Ilias Ali, who went missing on April 17, after the opposition alliance’s daylong ‘mass’ hunger strike at Mahanagar Natyamancha on Sunday. — Indrajit Ghosh

The leader of the opposition in the parliament, Khaleda Zia, on Sunday said that the prime minister and her family were involved in corruption and they would have to face trial at home or outside as there are hard evidences.
‘The prime minister and her family are involved in corruption. We have hard
evidence of corruption. They will have to face trial at home or outside the country,’ she said as she wrapped up the opposition alliance’s daylong ‘mass’ hunger strike at Mahanagar Natyamancha.
‘Documents of your corruption are there. You will have no scope to avoid the responsibility for such corruption and you will not be able to prove yourself not guilty,’ she said referring to the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina.
Khaleda said that most of the ministers and ruling party leaders had already made preparations to flee the country if anything ‘wrong’ happens as all of them had completed their mission of ‘making money.’
‘They have already put one step outside the country,’ she added.
Khaleda said that journalist couple Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi were killed in their house as information on corruption by the prime minister’s family reached them and they were out to publish it. ‘The killers of the journalist couple have already been sent out of the country.’
She said that international agencies had given reports on corruption to the finance minister but he did not dare to publish them for fear of losing his job.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party chief said that she was ready to on a dialogue with the government only if it specifically announced the dialogue agenda focusing on the formation a non-party, election-time administration.
‘We are ready to hold a dialogue but the government has to specifically announce in writing that it has accepted the demand for the caretaker government and will focus on the formation of the caretaker government. No move for dialogues without specific agenda will yield anything. Talks can be held on the formation of the non-partisan, neutral government and who who would head it,’ Khaleda said.
Pointing to the Awami League’s ‘allergy’ to the term ‘caretaker,’ Khaleda said that the BNP would have no objection to whatever employed to refer to it. ‘Our demand is a non-partisan, neutral government and nothing led by the president will be acceptable as he is also partisan,’ she said.
Khaleda said that the government had lost its ground and become frightened at the people and were sending opposition leaders to jail.
‘If you think you are be able to contain the BNP by keeping its leaders in jail, it will be a big mistake. People will take leadership as the BNP believes in people’s power. The BNP does not fear government whims. The government, rather, fears the BNP,’ she said.
She iterated that the next general elections had to be held under a non-partisan, neutral caretaker government. ‘Only such a government can ensure people’s right to franchise, return to democracy and economic development of the country.’
Just before Khaleda spoke, jurist Rafique-ul Huq, who went there to express solidarity with the programme, had said that he had found no headway in the resolution of the ongoing stalemate unless the two leaders sit across the table and the responsibility for such an initiative lies with the government.
Khaleda asked the government to return M Ilias Ali to the place from where he had been picked up and in the condition he was at the time.
‘This government has abducted Ilias. Few days ago, two Islamic University students went missing. Chhatral Dal leaders in Sylhet went missing. Ward councillor Alam went missing. Till date, 122 people fell victim of enforced disappearance by the government,’ she said calling on the people to wage a movement against such a government.
She said that the entire administration, the judiciary and even public universities had been politicised. ‘All university vice-chancellors are partisan. Jahangirnagar University had faced a crisis for long and the government finally appointed a new vice-chancellor who is also partisan. And he is not from Jahangirnagar university. He is from Dhaka University. The appointment has triggered a fresh controversy,’ she said.
Khaleda said that it had become usual for people to fast, the way she was fasting, as prices of every single item had gone beyond their reach.
The former prime minister broke the seven-hour fasting with juice offered by Sairara Nawal, daughter of M Ilias Ali, who went missing on April 17.
Apart from the alliance’s senior leaders, some civil society actors, including former secretary and founding editor of the Bangladesh Today M Asafuddowlah and Ganashasthaya Kendra founding chairman Zafrullah Chowdhury, former vice-chancellors of Dhaka University Emajuddin Ahmed and Maniruzzman Miah and National Press Club president Kamal Uddin Sabuj also joined the hunger strike.  
Local units of the ‘18-party alliance’ organised the hunger strike in district headquarters as part of the central programme.
The New Age correspondent in Chittagong said that the leaders and activists of the city and district units of the alliance had observed the hunger strike on the premises of Nasiman Bhaban.
The correspondents in other districts, Sylhet, Barisal, Khulna, Bogra, Narsingdi, Pabna, Jessore, Manikganj, Faridpur and Noakhali, reported that local units of the alliance had organised the hunger strike in their respective districts.