BNP holds rallies for Khaleda’s release

The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalists Party on Saturday held rallies in front of the party’s central office at Naya Paltan in Dhaka as well as in the district offices across the country demanding immediate unconditional release of its chairperson Khaleda Zia who has been in jail for over two years.

BNP leaders alleged that a number of their leaders and activists were arrested on their way to the rally while the police cordoned off the party office since morning as the party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on February 8 announced to bring out a protest procession from its office to the Press Club point.

‘Police obstructed our activists who were to attend the rally and arrested around ten to 12 activists,’  he said while addressing the rally.

He added that considering Khaleda Zia’s severe illness, the BNP demanded her release even on the humanitarian ground but the government did not respond.

The government would not be able to keep her in prison anymore by arresting and oppressing the party activists, Fakhrul said, adding that the autocratic government had filed cases against 35 lakh BNP activists and was responsible for the disappearance and torture of many more in the past years.

He asked the activists to come back home peacefully at the end of the event and to take preparation for further movement for Khaleda’s release, now under treatment at the Bangbandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University hospital since April 1, 2019.

On Friday, the party senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi at a press conference at the party office said that the procession in Dhaka would be brought out from the party central office at about 2:00pm and would end at National Press Club.

But the party did not bring out any procession on the day they did not get the permission from the police.

Earlier, the party leaders had said that they would no more wait for police permission for holding demonstration as their ‘mother’ Khaleda was in prison for the past two years.

BNP joint secretary Habib-un-Nabi Khan Sohel chaired the event where leaders of the central committee of its front organisations spoke.

Sohel said that the BNP showed passion for a long time but this was high time to give proper response to the government.

BNP standing committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said that not Khaleda Zia but Bangladesh was in prison for the autocratic rule of the country.

Another standing committee member Mirza Abbas said that they would release party chairperson this time through demonstration.

Witnesses said that around 5,000 people gathered in the rally that started at 2:00pm amid tight security.

Paltan police station officer-in-charge Abu Bakar Siddique said that he was not sure whether anyone was arrested.

He said that BNP did not take any permission for the procession but they verbally requested the police to allow them to hold a rally in front of the party office.

New Age Magura correspondent reported that the district BNP held a short rally in front of the party officer at Vayra as the police did not give them permission.

New Age correspondents in different districts, including Chattogram, Khulna, Magura, Jashore, Sylhet, Bogura and Feni reported that BNP staged rallies at the districts and metropolitan cities for unconditional release of their leader.

On Wednesday, former prime minister Khaleda Zia’s brother submitted a letter to the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University vice-chancellor seeking recommendation from him to the government to take her abroad for advanced treatment.

Khaleda has been in jail since February 8, 2018, the day she was convicted by a special court in Dhaka in a graft case which the BNP terms false and fabricated.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net