The Awami League-led government is hanging on to power with 'the help of guns', Khaleda Zia has said as she asked for a fresh election after ‘negotiations’.
Published : 20 Jan 2014, 03:34 PM
She also held the government responsible for attacks on homes and businesses of Hindus in various parts of Bangladesh after the Jan 5 general election.
At the first post-polls rally of the BNP at Suhrawardy Udyan on Monday, the party Chairperson said the current government has held on to power not by votes.
"I will tell the government that the people will not accept your staying in power by force. There is still time, hold talks fast and take steps for a fresh election under a non-party government."
At the outset of the rally, which Khaleda presided over, she congratulated the people on rejecting the ‘farcical polls’.
"The Jan 5 balloting has proved that a fair election cannot be held without a non-party government," she asserted.
During her one-hour-long speech, she also termed the Awami League-led government ‘scandalous’, questioned its legality several times and emphasised holding talks and organising a fresh election.
At the last 18-Party alliance rally on Oct 25 at the same venue before the national polls, Khaleda had declared a 60-hour nationwide general strike in a bid to push the government to meet the demand for a non-party dispensation to oversee the election.
After the polls took place ignoring BNP and its allies' protest, she held a press briefing on Jan 15 and announced the mass rallies in Dhaka’s Suhrawardy Udyan and in all metropolitans, districts and Upazilas on Jan 20.
Leaders of partner parties were present at Monday's rally, but BNP's long-time key ally Jamaat-e-Islami leaders were absent.
No activities of supporters of Jamaat and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir could be seen at the rally venue.
Waving copies of the Jan 6 issues of Bangla dailies Inqilab and Prothom Alo, she said the voters had not voted on polling day. "People have rejected it silently."
Reading out the Prothom Alo headline, she said, “This is a scandalous government.”
She called it a 'shameless government' and dared it to test its popularity in a new election under a 'neutral' regime.
"The country will be unstable if there is no fair election. Amount of foreign aids will decrease. The country will be in crisis."
On several occasions in her address, Khaleda called for talks with the ruling Awami League to end the political impasse. "This government is not the representative of the people."
"If you [the government] are a true patriot, then you will prepare to hold an election soon through talks."
According to her, this government is in power for a 'very short time'.
"They are thinking that they will stay in power forever. But they won't be successful. They will leave very soon."
She branded the government ‘illegal’, saying, “Those who did not win by people’s vote have no rights to sit in Parliament."
This Parliament also has no main opposition party, she said.
Regarding the countrywide demonstration and black flag procession scheduled for Jan 29, the first day of the 10th Parliament's first session, Khaleda asked the government to not obstruct those peaceful programmes.
She also demanded release of all arrested party loyalists including the senior BNP leaders.
The minorities were being tortured just to cover up the government’s failure and divert the attention of the people and international community, she alleged.
“Hindu brothers are being tortured and their houses and businesses are being attacked and grabbed.”
“The government is responsible for the attacks on the minorities. The government has failed to ensure their security and detain the attackers.”
Khaleda alleged that the government was now killing and abducting one after another in the guise of a joint forces’ drive.
“Stop all this. You will have to answer for this one day,” she cautioned the government.
The former Prime Minister said the people will “overthrow this government”.
She alleged that “each and every person has boycotted this election”, resulting in an exercise not acceptable to anyone. “So, come to talks and arrange for polls."
The BNP chief again said no fair polls can be held under the current management of the Election Commission (EC). “Five percent voters cast their votes, but the EC announced three days after the polls that 40 percent of the voters had cast their votes.”
She again called the EC “a puppet of the government and spineless institution”.
Alleging that militancy rose up during last Awami League government, Khaleda said it was only possible for her party to suppress militancy.
“Awami League itself carries out terrorist attacks. They are connected with the militants. Militancy will be stamped out from the country for good if Awami League leaves power," claimed the former Prime Minister whose last term was tainted with allegations of patronising an assortment of militant outfits.
Khaleda claimed that BNP was the party of the freedom fighters who fought the war of independence.
"Awami League leaders did not fight the war, rather they left and crossed the border."
The government also did not give Grameen Bank's founding Managing Director Muhammad Yunus the 'respect he deserves', she again alleged.
Grameen Bank's position will be restored and Yunus will be given his ‘due respect’ if the BNP came to power, she added.
In her speech, she also described her party's future plans on reforming all institutions and administrations including police, ensuring full independence of the judiciary and Anti-Corruption Commission, creating employments and different other developments.
Khaleda, who was the Leader of the Opposition in ninth Parliament, also criticised the government's foreign policy.
"People are getting killed frequently in the borders. The government does not protest this.
“The Prime Minister has said that she does not care about anyone. But she stands up and salutes after getting some people's phone call," she claimed.
"But we [BNP] care about the people. This is our policy."
Dhaka Metropolitan Police on Sunday evening had given the BNP permission to hold the rally at Suhrawardy Udyan on 12 conditions.
Leaders and activists of the party coming in processions from different areas started thronging the rally venue from Monday noon. At one point, police closed traffic on the road from Shahbagh to Matsya Bhaban.
Many banners and festoons with demands to release the top BNP leaders were seen in and around the venue and stage.
A huge number of law enforcers were deployed around Suhrawardy Udyan for the rally.