BNP starts hunger strike to protest stay on Khaleda Zia’s bail

BNP activists are engaging in a ‘symbolic’ hunger strike to protest the stay on party chief Khaleda Zia’s bail and to call for her release.

The main demonstration is being held at the Mahanagar Natyamancha in Dhaka’s Gulistan from 9am to 4pm on Monday. BNP activists will also engage in hunger strikes at the district-level across the country.

BNP leaders, activists and supporters sat on mats in front of photos showing BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and banners calling for her release at the Metropolitan Natyamancha. The activists chanted slogans demanding Khaleda Zia be freed.

Advisors to the BNP Chairperson Kabir Murad and Ataur Rahman Dhali, BNP Joint Secretary General Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal, Organising Secretary Syed Emran Saleh Prince, central leaders Nazimuddin Alam, Abdus Salam Azad, Taiful Islam Tipu, Nipun Ray Chowdhury and over a hundred party leaders and activists were present at the Dhaka protest.

“Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and members of the Standing Committee are on their way,” Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal told bdnews24.com.

“They will arrive in a few moments. We have begun the hunger strike under instructions from the secretary general.”

Activists from  the 20-party alliance, political activists, educationists, doctors, engineers, lawyers and people of many other professions have been invited to join the strike, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said.

Additional police security has been deployed in the Mahanagar Natyamancha area.

Former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia was sentenced to five years in prison over the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case on Feb 8.