Zia calls for unity among parties to demand caretaker arrangement

By Mizan Rahman/Dhaka

Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson and former prime minister Khaleda Zia yesterday urged all political parities - big or small - to get united to force the Sheikh Hasina government to hold the upcoming elections under a non-party caretaker government.

“Outside the 18-party alliance, there’re many political parties which want the election to be held the under the non-party caretaker government. I urge them all to get united to save the country,” she said.

Zia, also the leader of the opposition in parliament, was addressing a public rally at Rajshahi Madrasah ground in the afternoon.

The BNP-led 18-party alliance organised the rally aiming to mobilise public support in favour of its demand for arranging the next polls under a non-party administration.

“There’s no time to see which party is big, which one is small, who is a big leader, who is small, who is left or right. Now our main aim is to save the country through holding the polls under a non-party caretaker administration,” the BNP chief told the rally.

Zia also threatened that if the Awami League government does not restore the caretaker system by October 24 they will launch such a massive movement that it will not get the escape route.

Zia said Bangladesh’s independence is not safe in the hands of Awami League-led government.

“This government can’t even raise its voice when Bangladeshis are being killed and abducted along the Indo-Bangladesh border. It couldn’t do anything when Felani was killed. This is an incapable government. It cannot protect the country’s independence and sovereignty,” the former premier said.

Criticising government’s failure in taking any move to ensure justice for Felani’s family, Zia said had this government been in favour of the liberation war spirit then it would not have sacrificed the county’s interest to others. “Those who are patriot sacrifice their lives for Bangladesh.”

She said drug smuggling has been allowed to continue unabated along the border aiming to destroy the youth, the country’s future leaders. The same thing had happened during Awami League’s rule just after the independence.

Zia warned that this government will have to quit despite its all maneuverings.

Zia alleged that the Awami league was behind the murder of journalist couple Sagar-Runi as “they (Sagar and Runi) had information on the government’s corruption.”

The BNP chief reiterated the call to the government to dissolve the parliament.

She called upon the law enforcement agencies to not carry out the government’s “illegal order.”

She also criticised the government for spreading “propaganda” against Mohammad Yunus, claiming it was “aimed to demean the Nobel laureate.”

This was her second public meeting in the northern region of Bangladesh in two days.