Khaleda exchanges greetings with supporters in London amid chaos

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has exchanged Eid-ul-Azha greetings in London with expatriate leaders and workers in the UK.

Much of her speech at the gathering at the Fairlop Waters Country Park in east London was drowned out by chaos and confusion.
 
The Eid was celebrated in Britain on Thursday. A tent was pitched in the park for the evening event.
 
Guests waited in queue with bouquet for long as the line snaked forward slowly. 
 

They had a tough time making their way to the stage as supporters crowded near it to take photos with mobile phones and cameras.

Elder son and the party’s Senior Vice-Chairperson Tarique Rahman and his wife Jobaida Rahman were also with Khaleda onstage.

The party’s UK chapter Secretary General Koysor M Ahmed shouted at the top of his voice in his bid to bring calm and order.

Security members were pushing and shoving the crowd.
 
Khaleda told supporters the Awami League government has turned Bangladesh into a ‘prison’ and filed cases against ‘every’ BNP leaders and activists.

There were no basic rights, human rights, rule of law, democracy in the country where people cannot sleep in peace, the former prime minister maintained.
 
She alluded to Prime minister Sheikh Hasina to say she will not relinquish power because her government “cannot get away with so much plundering and so many murders”.
 
Khaleda hoped people will be forced to come out on the streets 
  

She checked into a hotel on reaching in London on Sept 16 before moving into the house of Tarique. He has been living there for the last seven years and faces arrest warrant over a slew of cases.

The wife and children of the BNP chief’s younger son, late Arafat Rahman Coco, are also in London.

Khaleda is expected to speak at a programme next week hosted by the UK chapter.