Govt will be swept away like a house of cards, says Khaleda

The government will fall apart very soon, BNP chief Khaleda Zia has said amid comments by Awami League leaders that her party lacked the strength to launch a movement.

“We must start a movement immediately, with people on our side,” she told a function for 1971 freedom fighters on Sunday.

“This autocratic and illegal government will be swept away like a house of cards… In Sha Allah.”

The BNP-led alliance had sat out and attempted to thwart the general election in January that saw arch-rival Awami League return to power for a second consecutive term.

Khaleda had earlier said agitations to press for early elections would be announced at the start of next year.

She promised her supporters that the agitations would stop only after the government conceded their demands.

The former prime minister said she could not sit idle any more, as people "wanted a change".

"Wherever I go, people are coming to me and demanding the launch of a movement."

"Our agitation will be peaceful and orderly," she assured but the BNP-led 20-Party Alliance is widely criticised for last year's violent movement.

In her hour-long speech, Khaleda again claimed her husband, military ruler Gen Ziaur Rahman, had "proclaimed independence".

"Zia started the Liberation War by announcing independence on radio which helped turn revolt into revolution and resistance war into Liberation War."

She recalled the 'first meeting' of sectors commanders on Apr 1-4, 1971 at Teliaparha tea garden in Habiganj.

According to her, they chose the Liberation War's commander-in-chief and commander before the Mujibnagar government was formed on Apr 14.

Khaleda claimed they had adopted a resolution to find elected politicians to form a government to get international support.

"The elected politicians failed to declare the Liberation War... Ziaur Rahman did it," she asserted.

She claimed the ruling Awami League made "imaginary claims" over the independence war since it "failed to lead it".

Her eldest son Tarique Rahman, interpreting history in his own distorted way, dubbed Bangladesh's founding father a 'Razakar' and his family a 'curse' for the nation.

"They (the Awami League) get angry if anyone corrects their distorted history," she said in a vague reference to the ruling party's criticism of Tarique.

"They try to hide their failure by using indecent remarks and threats instead of providing evidence for their claims," the BNP chief added.