The Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson, Khaleda Zia, on Sunday said the opposition’s movement would continue until its key demand for election under a non-party neutral government was realised.
Khaleda, also leader of the opposition in parliament, rejected prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s latest proposal for an election-time ‘small cabinet’ saying the proposal was aimed at clinging to power.
Briefly addressing an iftar party at the National Press Club hosted by a faction of BFUJ and DUJ, she said the country was passing a ‘tough time’ when ‘national unity’ was necessary to save the country.
She said ‘chaos’ and ‘conflicts’ patronised by the ruling party had crippled the nation.
Khaleda said the government had resorted to ‘repression’ on journalists as well as on politicians. ‘Politicians are being sent to jail in false cases,’ she claimed.
She said the present government could in no way be termed a ‘democratic’ government as it was rather carrying out activities ‘unconstitutionally’.
Khaleda reiterated that no elections would be held under a ‘partisan’ government. ‘Polls must be held under a non-party neutral government,’ she added.
‘A cross-section of people is protesting from their respective positions,’ she said adding that journalists were in a movement for realising their demands and would announce programmes after Eid.
She said garment workers as well as common citizens had also taken to the streets for pay, water, gas and electricity.
Khaleda called upon all sections of the society to wage movement from a ‘single platform’ after Eid to force the government to hold the next elections under a non-party government to ‘establish’ democracy and rule of law.
BFUJ president Ruhul Amin Gazi, secretary general Shawkat Mahmud, DUJ president Abdus Shahid, general secretary Baker Hossain, National Press Club president Kamaluddin Sabuj and general secretary Abdal Ahmed welcomed Khaleda Zia.
Leaders of BNP and its allies, journalists, writers, poets and artistes, among others, attended the iftar party.