Mirza Fakhrul calls for oath to free Khaleda Zia on Independence Day

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has called on party activists to take an oath to ‘restore’ democracy and free party chief Khaleda Zia on Independence Day.

He made the remarks to reporters after paying his respects at the National Martyrs’ Memorial on Tuesday.

“On this great day I call upon the people to take an oath to follow the ideals, goals and spirit of independence, restore democracy and free the mother of democracy Khaleda Zia. Through our movement we can free the leader of the nation and free democracy.”

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has been in prison since February, 2018. She is sentenced to serve 17 years in jail in two graft cases. BNP leaders allege the ruling Awami League has imprisoned her as an act of ‘political vengeance’.

“The spirit and ideals that led to us starting the Liberation War are belittled,” Fakhrul said. “Democracy has been killed and one faction is dedicated to instituting one-party rule in its place.”

The BNP secretary general said the current government was ‘robbing the people of their rights’.

“The right to vote has been stolen. The people of the country are not safe. The people are not safe going about their day to day lives.”