Hartal again, if fuel prices hiked: Khaleda

She also demands restoration of CG system

 

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia speaks at a rally in Gabtoli of the capital on Wednesday. 

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia on Wednesday threatened to resort to hartal if the fuel prices were further increased.
Khaleda was speaking at Karwan Bazar, the second venue of her five roadside rallies scheduled for today.
Earlier in her first rally venue in Gabtoli, Khaleda reiterated that no parliamentary elections will be allowed to be held without the caretaker government system.
During her nearly 40 minutes speech in Karwan Bazar, she also said they resorted to street agitation programme only to protest the government's misruling, looting and anarchic activities.
"We have given four years time to the government, but it failed to make any development of the country," Khaleda said.
"The life of people becomes unbearable and they want to get rid of this government," Khaleda added.
The leader of the opposition in Parlaiment also criticised the government for not carrying out development work in Dhaka city.
Khaleda alleged that people remains unemployed, they do not get any work.
Only Awami League men were getting all kinds of job.
"They (AL men) amassed sackful of money by appointing people in Railways Department," said Khaleda.
"We do not have any objection about the completion of government's tenure, but it has to pass the caretaker government bill in the Parliament," Khaleda said in Gabtoli.
During her nearly 35-minute speech, she said their movement could not be thwarted by filing false cases against the opposition leaders and activists.
Khaleda also demanded unconditional release of detained opposition leaders and activists including BNP acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
She also claimed that their female activists were detained from their various programmes and subjected to torture in remand.
The leader of the opposition in Parliament also urged the people to be united to strengthen their movement and make it a successful one.
Earlier, she reached the venue around 11:15am as part of a mass contact programme to press home the 18-party alliance's demands, including the restoration of the caretaker government system to oversee the next parliamentary elections.
Khaleda will address three more rallies at Jatrabari, Sabujbagh and Badda.
Moreover, she will exchange greetings with local leaders and workers of BNP and other components of the BNP-led 18-party alliance at Dholaikhal in old Dhaka.
Earlier in the morning, hundreds of 18-party opposition leaders and activists carrying banners and chanting slogans thronged Beauty Cinema Hall and its adjacent premises in Gabtoli where the BNP chief is set to hold the rally.
Khaleda will go to Karwan Bazar from Gabtoli via Kalyanpur, Agargaon and Farmgate, said party leaders.
The BNP chief will then go to Dholaikhal via FDC, Moghbazar, Kakrail and Gulistan.
After exchanging greetings with party men at Dholaikhal, she will go to Jatrabari via Doyaganj to address a rally, and then travel to Sabujbagh via Sayedabad and Mughda.
She will go to Badda via Basabo, Khilgaon and Rampura, and address a rally there at 2:30pm to conclude the mass contact programme.
On Tuesday, the main opposition BNP expressed regret in advance about the sufferings the day-long programme would cause to city residents.
"We are sorry for the inconvenience [to be caused due to the rallies], but I believe city residents will cooperate with us," Abdus Salam, member secretary of Dhaka city unit BNP, said at a press briefing yesterday.
The alliance is also observing the mass contact programme in other parts of the country to drum up public support for their demands.
On the other hand, Home Minister MK Alamgir, on Tuesday said if the opposition holds the programme peacefully, the government would welcome it.
On November 28, Khaleda announced the programme at a rally in front of the BNP central office.