Take ‘silent revenge’ on April 28: Khaleda.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson, Khaleda Zia, on Sunday said despite extreme adversity, the party want to peacefully continue the battle for the city polls, urging Dhaka and Chittagong city dwellers to take ‘silent revenge’ on April 28 against the government’s misdeeds. ‘We want to continue our fight peacefully against terrorism and ill-tactics, even in such adverse situation. We firmly believe that the people of Dhaka and Chittagong will carry out a silent revolution to take revenge and reply to such ill-attempts and repression, if given little scope,’ Khaleda said. The BNP chairperson came up with the statements at a news conference at her Gulshan office, two days before mayoral elections in the divided Dhaka city and Chittagong city corporations. In her written statement, Khaleda urged people from all walks of life of Dhaka and Chittagong cities to go to polling centers in the morning without fear and to exercise their voting right to carry out a ‘silent revolution’. She urged them to protest together in the face of irregularities, violence and vote-rigging, saying protest and resistance will have to start from each polling center. Khaleda also urged the city dwellers to guard polling centers and leave the centers only after getting the results so that ‘they (indicating to people conducting the election) cannot change your verdict.’ She requested all those who will carry out election duties to work sincerely.

Khaleda appealed to people to cast their vote for her-party backed mayoral candidates Mirza Abbas for Dhaka south city – using the mug symbol, Tabith Awal for Dhaka north city – using the bus symbol, and Manjur Alam for Chittagong city using the orange symbol. Khaleda also said ruling Awami League-backed candidates were distributing money in the campaign that ‘belonged to the people.’ She urged people not to sell their votes for money. ‘Take the money but vote with your conscience,’ she said. Khaleda said the ruling party’s fear of voters and signs of defeat have become visible. So they are obstructing and attacking the election campaigns of BNP-backed candidates. She alleged they are carrying out violence on various fronts to create a ‘frightening’ situation to discourage voters to go to polling centers. She alleged police were given responsibility to harass opposition candidates and voters, saying police and ruling party ‘terrorists’ were threatening polling agents of BNP-backed candidates.

She alleged that the ministers and MPs are forcing employees of government, semi-government and autonomous organisations and teachers to campaign for ruling party–backed candidates. She said there are allegations that the ruling party candidates were buying votes of low income groups and poor people of slum areas. Khaleda came down hard on the Election Commission for changing its stand over deploying army in electoral areas. She said the ‘subservient’ Election Commission, at the signal of the ruling party, have become accomplices in their design of vote robbery and carried out a cunning ‘ill-tactic’ on the question of deploying army. She said it has been proven that the Awami League sees the armed forces as an obstacle in implementing their design to change election results through terrorism, manipulation and intimidating voters. Khaleda reiterated her demand for deployment of armed forces with magistracy power in electoral areas. Directing a comment at her political rival, prime minister Sheikh Hasina, Khaleda said Hasina had hoodwinked people in assuming power without being voted to power. ‘Come down from your arrogant stand. Remember, not all days are the same. Whatever you did so far, let the three city corporation elections be free and fair. It will not diminish your power,’ Khaleda said. She urged the prime minister to return to the path of democracy and dialogue. Referring to Krishak Sramik Janata League president Abdul Kader Siddique’s remarks that Sheikh Hasina had ‘won’ through tears and fears, Khaleda said she may have won through violence, but did not win people’s sympathy. Khaleda mentioned the recent continuous attack on her motorcade during election campaign for her party-backed mayoral candidates in Dhaka city saying the attacks were pre-planned to kill her. At one stage of reading out a speech, Khaleda broke down in tears saying her husband gave his life for the love of the country and while working for the welfare of the people.

She said, a few days back she lost her beloved son forever, and her only living son was under treatment abroad for a long time as a result of repression. She said she was now struggling to establish people’s rights. ‘You are my near and dear one now,’ she said. The BNP chairperson pointed out seven reasons for which they fielded candidates for the city polls despite being doubtful about the fairness of the elections. She sighted that the BNP-led alliance had demanded non-party neutral government for national elections and not local government elections, as one of the reasons. Furthermore, all democratic rights of BNP, including scope for holding rallies and meetings and going to people, had been stopped, and they wanted to seize the scope, although in a limited scale, to reach out to people through participating in the city polls.

Finally, they have taken this election as a test of the government, the ruling party, election commission, administration and law enforcers, she said, adding that it would once again be proven that a fair election under them is totally impossible, especially if they cannot create a level playing field and ensure a safe, fair, peaceful and festive environment. On whether the blockade was still in effect or not, she said the decision had not yet been taken as they were busy with city polls and leaders of the alliance were on the run. She, however, agreed the blockade was now ‘not so active.’ In reply to a question, she said she was not eligible to vote in the city corporation election as she was still a voter in the cantonment area. About violation of electoral code, she said the Election Commission was ‘biased’ saying only a few vehicles were there for her security and one vehicle of women travelling with her, while the other vehicles belonged to the media. In reply to another question, she said Awami League men, along with police, threw petrol bombs at vehicles during the blockade.

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