BNP chief Khaleda tweets 'not ballot but bullet is the source of Hasina’s power'

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has taken to Twitter to say it is not ballot but the bullet that is the source of Sheikh Hasina’s power.

In a tweet, she said, "Jan 5’s ‘disgraceful voterless poll’ is a cruel joke at our historic struggles for voting rights & back-stabbing our democratic progress."

"People shall choose their representatives, not conspirators. No compromise on democracy."

BNP wanted to hold a rally on Jan 5 at the Shurawardy Udyan but failed as the authorities denied it permission.

The BNP and its allies stayed away from the general elections in 2104 leaving 153 ruling coalition MPs winning uncontested and HM Ershad’s Jatiya Party taking over the role of the opposition in parliament.

The JP also holds a number of ministerial positions in the current cabinet.

The next parliamentary elections are due later this year or early next year, but the BNP is demanding a polls-time facilitating government as a pre-condition for it to join the balloting.

 

Khaleda's tweet apparently received lukewarm response from her followers.

Posted on Jan 5 at 7:44am, her tweet was retweeted 61 times. Only 284 people pressed the 'like' button while 22 followers replied.

Of the 22, one Habib Majumder wrote around 10 replies, and in one of those he said, "A survey conducted by The Asia Foundation in September 2013 showed that more than 75% of voters preferred the elections to take place under a neutral caretaker government."

In a separate comment, Majumder wrote, "As per (the) NEW YORK TIMES, the teams of American and European observers who have been a regular presence (sic) in Bangladesh declined to monitor the process this year, saying the elections were flawed, leaving only delegations from India and Bhutan."

In his third reply, he added, "(Then) UK Prime Minister David Cameron met Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on 22 July 2014. He noted UK disappointment over the election."

Another Twitter user, Saiful Islam Shawon, wrote, "I want my voting rights back!" while others extended their support to her movement to ‘restore democracy’.