Khaleda threatens foiling unilateral polls

Opposition chief Khaleda Zia has renewed the threat that they will not only boycott the general election if it is held under an administration headed by Sheikh Hasina but also will stop it from being taking place altogether.

This government had no right to stay on after Oct 24 if it did not pass the bill for holding the polls under a nonpartisan government, she told an 18-Party alliance rally at Khulna Circuit House ground on Sunday.

As the 15th Amendment to the Constitution scrapped the provision of holding the national election under a caretaker government, the coming election is due to be held under the current government, an arrangement the main opposition is vehemently opposing.

The BNP Chairperson said people had already showed the Awami League the yellow card when they elected a BNP-backed candidate as the Khulna City Mayor.

“The people have awakened. They don’t think this government is able to organise a fair election,” she claimed.

Khaleda asked the government to place the bill on a non-party government in Parliament by Oct 25. “We will not go to polls held under Sheikh Hasina, never. Not only that, that election will not be allowed and will surely be resisted.”

Thousands of opposition leaders and activists from 11 districts of Khulna Division had thronged the venue of the rally which kicked off at 2pm.

During her 50-minute speech, the opposition leader criticised the Awami League-led government for its ‘failures, misrule, corruption’, issues regarding the upcoming parliamentary elections and the opposition’s movement for a nonpartisan government to oversee the polls.

She reaffirmed the position that the BNP would not go to any polls held under this government.

Khaleda asked the people to be prepared for the fresh programmes coming after Oct 25.

“No one will have the power to escape the people’s wrath if the government doesn’t place the bill very soon,” she warned.

Khaleda also alleged that an Awami League leader was threatening to ‘send government officials home’ if they did not work for ‘organising a unilateral election’.

“The government has understood that stealing won’t help. That’s why an Awami League MP is threatening government officials.”

“(The government’s) time is over. You won’t have the power to send [anyone] home. Rather you’ll be sent back home.”

The BNP chief asked the government officials not to follow the ‘unreasonable directive’ and added that if anyone lost their job because of defiance, they would be reinstated if the BNP came to power.

“The government says many officials will lose their jobs if the BNP comes to power. This is wrong. The BNP does not practice the politics of vengeance. We won’t fire anyone from their job. Instead, those who were sacked from their job by this government will be reinstated.”

Khaleda claimed the Awami League would ‘sink’ if the election was free and fair. “(But) an election under them will destroy democracy,” she asserted.

The former Prime Minister also sought assistance from all the citizens including the professionals, administration and government officials to protect democracy.

“I’ll see you again in the streets. We’ll establish a people’s government by driving out this treacherous and oppressive government through movement.”

She demanded release of all arrested opposition leaders and activists.

Meanwhile, addressing the rally, the BNP’s acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said, “The Prime Minister has told the United National General Assembly that her government has rooted out militancy. She has lied.”

He claimed militants had risen before during Awami League’s past regime, and it happened this time again.

“Not just that, the Prime Minister lied again when she told Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that the election will take place in Bangladesh and everyone will participate. The BNP will not go to polls under Sheikh Hasina.”

Standing Committee member Moudud Ahmed said the Prime Minister, ‘who is not even 10 percent popular’ went to the UN taking an entourage of 140 people with herwhich was ‘just a waste of state money’.