BNP focuses on polls, unity

Rolls out 12-point goal to be 'fulfilled' if voted to power, places 7-point demand, announces 2-day agitation

Urging party men to prepare for both the election and movement, the BNP yesterday unveiled a 12-point goal and promised to accomplish those if voted to power through the upcoming parliamentary polls.

From a rally in the capital, the party also presented a seven-point demand, including unconditional release of Khaleda Zia, saying these would be the basis of forging a “greater unity” among political parties.

Announcing the next course of action to press for the demands, the BNP said it will stage rallies and submit memorandums to the deputy commissioners and divisional commissioners in district and divisional headquarters on October 3 and 4 respectively.

It also explained what it will do if it takes office, after remaining out of parliament since 2014, when it boycotted the 10th parliamentary polls. 

The party's 12-goal includes establishing good governance, rule of law, and checks and balances, modernising armed forces, and freeing the Anti-Corruption Commission of political influence and making it effective. 

“We will fulfil the promises if we go to power,” BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said in his address at the rally, held at Suhrawardy Udyan.

Addressing the party activists and supporters, senior BNP leaders said people from all walks of life should be united to oust the “fascist” government because a conspiracy is on to hold another “farcical” election like that of January 5, 2014.

“Our movement will continue till our demands are met,” said Mirza Fakhrul, who read out the demands and goals.

The demands also include dissolution of parliament ahead of the polls, resignation of the government and formation of a non-party polls-time administration based on talks with all political parties.

“People from all walks of life and of different opinions should forge unity against the government,” Fakhrul added.

The party has been trying for a “greater national unity” to mount pressure on the government to hold a free and fair election.

Earlier, Dr Kamal Hossain's Jatiya Oikya Prokriya and Badruddoza Chowdhury's Juktofront pledged to work together. On September 22, senior BNP leaders shared a stage with the two veteran leaders and representatives of some smaller parties.   

At yesterday's gathering, Mirza Abbas, a standing committee member, said, “The government is trying to foil the unity process. If it [the process] succeeds, it will be good, but if fails, we have to continue our movement.”

CHAIR FOR KHALEDA

The rally kicked off around 2:00pm in the presence of thousands of supporters and activists -- calling for the release of Khaleda, return of party's acting chairman Tarique Rahman and election under a non-partisan interim government.

The centre chair on stage is left empty at the BNP rally yesterday. Party leaders made the symbolic gesture as their chief Khaleda Zia is in jail. Photo: Star

An empty chair was kept at the centre stage, symbolising the absence of the BNP chairperson, who is now behind bars after conviction in a corruption case.

As the main speaker, party's standing committee member Khandakar Mosharraf Hossain urged government officials to carry out their duties independently and not to follow “illegal orders” of the “illegal Awami League” government.

“Please stand beside the people. There is nothing to fear as we do not believe in the politics of vengeance,” he said.

The BNP leader said there would be no election without Khaleda and people will not accept any such election, he said.

Speaking at the rally, BNP standing committee member Moudud Ahmed alleged that the government is ruining the election atmosphere fearing debacle in the upcoming polls. “Everyone has to be aware of the government attempt to foil the election.”

Countering some AL leaders' statement that they will resist BNP on the streets, Moudud said, “We will also resist. This time we will not leave the ground.”

He said they tried to have Khaleda released through legal battles but failed, as the government interfered in the lower court. “So there is only way to get Khaleda Zia released and that's taking to the streets.”

The former law minister also said if his party wins the polls, Digital Security Act will be scrapped within a week.

The law, dubbed draconian by democratic forces of the country, is “contradictory” to the constitution, Moudud said, adding that it is “a severe blow to press freedom”.

“Police have been given the power to arrest people without warrants under this law -- which is unprecedented,” he said. “The law has been enacted to cover up the misdeeds of the ruling party.”

A BNP activist, who was on his way to the rally, protests while being dragged away by police. The photo was taken from the city's Shahbagh area yesterday. Photo: Star

Jamiruddin Sircar, another standing committee member, said, “The ongoing movement will stop only when the government will step down.”

Senior BNP leader Abdul Moyeen Khan said, “The government has turned into an autocratic regime and none of the autocratic regimes across the world stayed in office forever. All the democratic forces should be united to corner the Awami League.”

Nazrul Islam Khan, another central leader, underscored the need for a “greater unity” to free Khaleda and force the government to hold the upcoming national election under an impartial election-time administration.

“We can't have our demands met if we fail to form a greater national unity.”

In November last year, the party held a public rally in Suhrawardy Udyan where Khaleda Zia was present.

BNP leaders alleged that a number of party men were arrested from the meeting venue and many party leaders and activists were barred from arriving at the venue.

THE GOALS

If elected, the BNP said, it will not allow any terrorist group to use the territory of Bangladesh to carry out criminal activities targeting any other country.

Its other goals are appointment of judges in a transparent way and independence of judiciary; freedom of media; security and fundamental rights of citizens; maintaining the policy of “friends to all, malice to none” in maintaining relations with foreign countries,  and ensuring better living standards of low-income people; national consensus ending politics of vengeance.

DEMANDS 

The party will press for army deployment with magistracy power at all polling centres during the upcoming national polls; presence of local and international observers during elections, and reconstitution of Election Commission and discarding any plan to use EVM.    

Besides, it wants release of opposition leaders, scrapping of their punishment and withdrawal of false cases lodged against them; end to filing political cases and implicating opposition party men in new cases from the first day of announcement of the election schedule; stopping arrest of opposition men in old cases; withdrawal of cases against quota and safe road protesters and journalists who took to the streets.

• Courtesy: The Daily Star/ Oct 01, 2018