Khaleda Zia asks people to stage ‘ballot revolution’ in city elections

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, who failed to topple the government with months of violent street agitation, has urged the people to stage ‘silent revolution of ballots’ against the government in the city polls.

She made the call at a programme of her party’s cultural wing in front of the BNP headquarters on Tuesday.

The BNP-endorsed Dhaka South mayor candidate Tabith Awal and North’s aspirant Mirza Abbas’ wife, Afroza, were present there.

Khaleda sought vote for both the candidates.

She alleged the government was creating obstacles for the BNP and did not permit her party to organise programmes marking the new year.

“We’ll have to stage a silent revolution of ballots,” the BNP chief said. “Vote for candidates endorsed by us and show the illegal government [that you’ve rejected it].”

Khaleda’s party and allies boycotted the 2014 parliamentary elections and have since been pressing for a snap election under a ‘neutral’ body.

However, the BNP has endorsed candidates for the crucial Apr 28 polls to Dhaka and Chittagong city corporations.

The last mayors of Chittagong and undivided Dhaka were backed by the BNP.

Tuesday’s was the first programme Khaleda attended after she came back home recently from her Gulshan office after a three-month stay there.

Her visit to the party headquarters was the first since Oct 23 last year.

The BNP chief’s motorcade arrived at the party office around 5:15pm.

Jatiyatabadi Samajik and Sangskritik Sangstha (Jasas) organised the programme on the street in front of the BNP headquarters to welcome the Bengali New Year.

BNP’s Cultural Affairs Secretary Gazi Mazharul Anwar, Jasas President MA Malek and General Secretary Monir Khan and other leaders received Khaleda with bouquets.

The former prime minister waved to the leaders and activists from the footpath in front of the party office.

The supporters responded with slogan, ‘Khaleda Zia, you go ahead, we are with you’.

Khaleda began her speech with new year greetings to you Dhaka dwellers. “I hope this new year will augur well for you and for the country.”

She then alleged that the government had not allowed the BNP to organise cultural function on Pahela Baishakh. “This government has no feelings for culture.”

In her eight-minute speech, the former prime minister said: “This government is scared of staging (general) elections because it has no confidence in the people.

“They’ve put party people removing elected public representatives.”

Khaleda sought votes for her party-backed two mayoral candidates -- Mirza Abbas for Dhaka South and Tabith Awal for Dhaka North city corporations.

She said: “Mirza Abbas was the mayor of (undivided) Dhaka before. He had turned Dhaka a clean city. That Dhaka now ranks second among the most polluted cities of the world.”

She pledged that Dhaka’s water, electricity and gas crises, and traffic congestions would be over if her party-backed candidates were elected.

Introducing Tabith, the BNP chief said: “A member of the new generation, Tabith Awal is a highly educated boy. Allow this young man to serve you. He has many new ideas.”

The BNP chief asked her party leaders and activists to carry on the anti-government movement.

“Our movement is for a fair election under a non-party government,” she said.

Khaleda’s party and allies boycotted the 2014 parliamentary elections and have since been pressing for a snap election under a ‘neutral’ body.

But, the BNP has endorsed candidates for the crucial Apr 28 polls to Dhaka and Chittagong city corporations.

The last mayors of Chittagong and undivided Dhaka were backed by the BNP.

BNP Standing Committee members Moudud Ahmed, Mahbubur Rahman and Abdul Moyeen Khan, Vice-Chairman Selima Rahman, Chairperson’s Advisor Abdul Halim and former Dhaka University vice-chancellor Emajuddin Ahamed, among others, were present.