BNP won’t sit idle if talks demand not fulfilled: Khaleda

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has reiterated that her party will take to the streets if the government fails to soon hold a dialogue to organise fresh elections with participation of all political parties.

The BNP did not want conflict and unrest in the country, but there was no other way to make the government meet its demands, she claimed while speaking at a meeting on Saturday.

The programme was organised by pro-BNP Association of Engineers Bangladesh (AEB) at the Institute of Engineers, Bangladesh in Dhaka.

“We don’t want to create instability in the country so soon,” Khaleda said, “I’m urging the government again to hold talks and come to an understanding to form a non-partisan administration to oversee the free and fair election with participation from all parties.”

People would not wait indefinitely for such dialogue, she added.

"If no initiative to hold talks is taken, we will hit the streets with people on our side to push for the demands."

She asked the party leaders and activists to make all-out preparations for the anti-government movement.

"BNP is a patient democratic party. We are revamping and preparing our organisations for the movement. We are speaking to the people and listening to what they have to say," she said.

The former prime minister criticised the government for putting the people into jeopardy through corruption, loot, insecurity, instability, terrorism and lack of justice.

The present government did not have people's support and was occupying power forcibly, she alleged, adding that there was no democracy in the country.

Khaleda said, "The situation in the country is unnatural. It has become a police state. This can't go on. If this continues, not only Bangladesh, the region will become unstable."

"The dictatorial way the country is ruled can only ensure emergence and spread of extremisms. This will lead the country to darkness."

Regarding the government move to restore Parliament's power to sack judges, the BNP chief said, "The Awami League had given the power to impeach Supreme Court judges to the president by killing democracy and establishing autocratic rule in the country."

"Ziaur Rahman gave the power back to the judges by forming a Supreme Judicial Council led by the chief justice. And now the power is returning to an unelected Parliament. This will curb the judiciary's freedom."

Khaleda also alleged that the new National Broadcast Policy would take away independence of electronic media.