Prepare for anti-govt movement: Khaleda

 

 

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia (inset) addresses a rally in Habiganj on Saturday. Photo: Focus BanglaStar Online Report

Urging all to be prepared for upcoming anti-government movement, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia said on Saturday they will go ahead defying any fears and threatened the government of dire consequences if it tries to obstruct the movement.
“Time has come to wake up to restore democracy. I will also be with you in the street during the movement as we have to save the country. We will go ahead fearlessly,” she said.
Addressing a mammoth rally at New Field in Habiganj, the opposition leader accused the ruling party men of destroying Buddhist temples at Ramu in Cox’s Bazar.
“BNP is a pro-liberation force and always against corruption. Awami League created militancy in the country while BNP uprooted it through taking actions against militant kingpins,” she claimed.
Thousands of enthusiastic leaders, workers and supporters attended the rally bearing colourful banners, placards, posters and portraits of late president Ziaur Rahman, Khaleda and BNP Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman. They chanted anti-government slogans.
The public meeting was organised by the 18-party alliance as part of Khaleda’s month-long mass contact programme to drum up public support to restore caretaker government system to oversee the next general election.
Hundreds of arches were erected and the whole area was decorated with colourful posters and banners to welcome the leader of the opposition.
The rally venue and adjacent areas turned into a human sea when Khaled was entering the field around 4:40pm.
Amidst non-stop claps and slogans, Khaleda started her speech at 4:55pm and called the prime minister “world’s grand thief” and Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad “extreme shameless”.
“Country is now under a clutches of a grand thief and most shameless. We have to rescue our country. We all have to be aware if we want development, peace and to survive,” she said.
Reiterated her demand of reinstatement of non-party neutral government system, the former premier said the Election Commission and the government are singing in a same tone.
Free and fair election is not possible under them. No election will be allowed under political government.
She showed a news item which was published Saturday in different Bengali daily newspapers against former railway minister Suranjit Sengupta and said everyone in government is corrupt.

“Tk 300 crore was looted from Padma bridge project even before the start of the project. This government is a grand thief,” she said.
Earlier in the morning, the leader of the opposition left her Gulshan residence around 11:30am for Habiganj and party men welcomed her at different places on her way to the rally venue.