Fakhrul urges party men for peaceful movement

Senior Correspondent: BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir urged its party leaders and activists to take to the streets with peaceful programmes in a bid to free party Chairperson Khaleda Zia from jail.

The BNP leader made the call while inaugurating mass signature campaign at party's central office in Nayapaltan area in the capital around 11:45am on Saturday demanding the release of party Chairperson Khaleda Zia, who is now in jail in a graft case.

Fakhrul said, "Khaleda Zia is leading the movement meant for restoring democracy in the country and fundamental rights of the citizens. She has to free from jail. There is no time to sit at home. Take to the streets and hold peaceful programmes to free our party chief."

Fakhrul urged the party leaders not to respond to any kind of provocation and continue peaceful agitation demanding Khaleda’s release.

On Friday, BNP announced to hold a public rally in the city on February 22 to press home their demand.

They on Thursday announced another round of peaceful countrywide protest programmes.

The programmes include collecting signatures from mass people across the country on Saturday, submitting memorandums to all the deputy commissioner offices on Sunday and staging demonstrations in all the district towns and metropolitan cities, except Dhaka, on Tuesday.

On February 8 last, a special court convicted former prime minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and sentenced her to five years’ imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case. She was then sent to the old central jail at Nazimuddin Road in the city.

Soon after her conviction, the party announced countrywide demonstrations for February 9 and 10.

Later, it also staged protests from February 12 to 14 February.


risingbd/Dhaka/Feb 17, 2018/Reza/AI