Anti-govt agitation plans after mass contact campaign: Khaleda

Fresh anti-government agitation will be announced after the BNP's ongoing mass contact campaign ends, party chief Khaleda Zia has hinted.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 20 Oct 2014, 06:49 PM
Updated : 20 Oct 2014, 06:49 PM

She ordered her supporters to get ready for it during an interaction with BNP's Rajshahi Division activists on Monday.

On Saturday, Khaleda ordered her party leaders to mobilise the grassroots people to prepare for the movement.

The former prime minister is scheduled to address 20-Party Alliance rallies in Nilphamari on Oct 23, Natore on Oct 30, Comilla on Nov 7 and Kishoreganj on Nov 12 as part of her countrywide pubkic campaign.

Khaleda on Monday said, "I gave this government 10 months to hold an election as soon as possible through talks. But they aren't holding any talks. They think BNP won't be able to carry out its movement."

"We'd like to clearly state that we will have to go for agitation after the mass contact campaign."

"I'll call for the demonstration in time. You have to take preparations from now so that you can hit the streets whenever I make the call," she told the meeting.

The BNP chief accused the government of using RAB ‘in political killings’.

“They (government) often refer to Pakistani army. They’re worse than Pak army and autocrats; worse than (military dictator HM) Ershad.”

At one point, she hit out at her arch political foe Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

“Those who kill the people and leave their bodies in jungles and rivers are mentally deranged. That’s why the court had called her (Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina) wrong-headed. The country cannot develop under the leadership of mentally deranged people,” she added.

Accusing the government of widespread corruption, Khaleda said: “All from the top to bottom are involved in loot and corruption. They don’t think about the people.”

So, the government needed to be unseated.

The BNP chief defended her decision to stay away from the Jan 5 parliamentary election and said her party was voted to power in 1991 after it boycotted the 1986 polls during Ershad’s regime.

Presidents and general secretaries of nine ‘political districts’ under Rajshahi division, 32 Upazila chairmen, 42 vice-chairmen and 25 municipality mayors took part in the interaction.

Earlier on Saturday, Khaleda sat with the party leaders in Chittagong Division.