Khaleda Zia ‘adamant about continuing with blockade until election called’

Khaleda Zia again has purportedly urged her supporters to continue with the nationwide transport blockade until the demands of the BNP and its allies are met.

She made the call when a delegation of the White Panel of Dhaka University, consisting of pro-BNP-Jamaat-e-Islami teachers, met the BNP chief on Friday night at her Gulshan office.

The panel's Convenor Prof Sirajul Islam told reporters, "We, teachers of Dhaka University came to see (her). She is in good health now. She has told us that the ongoing programme will continue until further notice."

A member of the delegation, Prof Yusuf Haider, Chairman of University Teachers Association of Bangladesh, told reporters that Khaleda was “still firm and uncompromising about the movement”.

"(She) told us that the blockade will go on until (the people's voting rights are restored)."

Responding to a question, he said they did not discuss whether the BNP chief could be arrested. "But I personally think the government will make a mistake if a greatly popular politician like Khaleda Zia is arrested. This will only intensify the movement."