BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Monday alleged Awami League has started staging dramas over the issue of Khaleda Zia’s scope to do politics with an evil motive.
Speaking at a discussion he also said the ruling party leaders need not talk about the issue as the BNP chief herself and her party will decide whether she’ll engage in politics or not.
"Begum Khaleda Zia has been kept under house arrest and she’s very ill…the government has started staging various dramas about her. Some ministers said that Khaleda Zia is not allowed to do politics. Another minister said she has no obstacle to doing politics,” the BNP leader said.
He questioned why the ruling party leaders have become so desperate to talk about whether the BNP chief can do politics or not. “Their intentions are absolutely evil. They want to confuse the people of the country and divert their attention to a different direction.”
Fakhrul said the Awami League leaders will not be able to mislead BNP as their party’s now only focus is on restoring the voting and other lost rights of the country’s people by ousting the Awami League government.
“We no longer want to see this government. This regime must resign and dissolve parliament right now. You can’t fool people by talking about this thing (Khaleda’s politics.),” he said.
The BNP leader said Khaleda Zia will do politics when the suitable time comes. “She’ will surely do politics, no matter where she stays as she is the most popular leader in the country.” So you (AL leaders) don't need to talk about it. She’ll take her decision and the party will take it.”
Fakhrul said the government can release Khaleda without any condition if it wants her to return to politics.
Jatiyatabadi Tanti Dal arranged the discussion programme at the Jatiya Press Club, marking its 43rd founding anniversary.
Khaleda has been convicted in a case of corruption in Zia Orphanage Trust and sentenced to 10 years in jail. In another corruption case involving Zia Charitable Trust, she has been given seven years of imprisonment.
Her jail terms have been suspended by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on humanitarian grounds considering her poor health following a petition by her family.
The issue of Khaleda's opportunity to do politics as a convict has come into discussion as the law minister recently said that Khaleda can participate in politics, but not in the next general elections. Later, various ministers made comments disagreeing with the law minister.
AL, not BNP in ICU
Fakhrul urged the government to give attention to people’s problems instead of thinking about Khaleda. “The people's main problem is that they can’t elect their representatives with their votes. There’s no people's parliament and people now can't talk.”
He urged the government to step down, and dissolve parliament for establishing a government of people by holding a credible election under a non-party neutral administration.
The BNP leader said the ruling party leaders used to accuse BNP of rigging votes, but Awami League has been indulging in vote rigging since 1973. “You rigged votes in the last two national elections. I want to say firmly, BNP has never stolen votes.”
Slamming the government for harassing BNP leaders and activists by implicating them in ‘false and ghost cases, Fakhrul said the government should be ashamed of filing cases against 40 lakh leaders and activists of the opposition parties.
He also came down hard on Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader for his comment that BNP will go to ICU, saying it is Awami League that has already been there in the ICU as it has got bankrupt politically.
“Why’re you so scared of holding the election under a neutral government? The reason behind your fear is that you know if the election is held under a neutral government, you won’t get even 20 seats and will lose your security money as well,” the BNP leader said.
Left leaders with 14-party worse than AL
In an oblique reference to Workers Party President Rashed Khan Menon’s comment the ruling Awami League-led 14-party alliance is "non-functional", he said Jatiya Party and some renowned leaders of the left parties joined the 2014 polls with Awami League amid the boycott by BNP and took the share of the advantage of power.
"Now they (left leaders) are in little difficulty and they’re not made ministers and given the share of the advantage of power properly. So, they’re now saying the 14-party is no longer functioning,” Fakhrul said.
He also said these left leaders are worse than Awami League. “There're now some people in this country whose job it is to pander and flatter the government and work against the interests of the people.”
The BNP leader said left leaders who are with the 14-party alliance used to criticise BNP whenever they get a chance, but they’re not playing their due role and talking about democracy, people’s voting rights, and the government’s corruption.
Source: United News of Bangladesh