BNP places 6-point demands for polls, calls for greater unity

Senior Correspondent: BNP has placed six-point demands including immediate and unconditional release of the party’s imprisoned Chairperson Khaleda Zia, dissolution of current parliament and resignation of the prime minister before announcement of the schedule for the next general election in late October.

The party also urged all to form a greater national unity in a bid to save the country’s democracy and sovereignty.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir came up with the demand and call while addressing a rally in front of the party’s Nayapaltan central office in Dhaka on Saturday afternoon marking the party’s 40th founding anniversary.

While addressing the rally, Fakhrul placed the six-point demands in which he stressed on the immediate and unconditional release of the party’s imprisoned Chairperson Khaleda Zia and its other leaders who are now behind bars in connection with “politically motivated cases”.

The BNP leader said the prime minister will have to resign before the announcement of the schedule for the next general election in late October.

The current parliament will have to be dissolved and the army will have to be deployed during the election, he said.

Besides, the present Election Commission (EC) will have to be reconstituted for holding the next general election in a free, fair and inclusive manner, Fakhrul demanded.

Calling upon all to forge a greater national unity, he said, “From now on, there is no disunity among us. Please come forward to form a greater national unity to oust the autocratic and undemocratic ruler to restore people’s government in the country.”

The rally began around 2:00pm where leaders and activists of the party’s different fronts and associate bodies from across the capital thronged with banners, placards and festoons demanding immediate release of the party’s imprisoned Chairperson Khaleda Zia.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Standing Committee members Khandakar Mosharraf Hossain, Moudud Ahmed, Goyeshwar Chandra Roy, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, and Mirza Abbas, among others, spoke the programme.


risingbd/Dhaka/Sept 1, 2018/Reza/AI