No election if 7-point demand is not met: BNP

Senior Correspondent: BNP leaders said the next general election will not be held unless the seven-point demand of newly floated alliance Oikyafront including the release of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia from jail is met.

“No election will be held without the participation of Khaleda Zia. We won’t go to polls without the implementation of our seven-point demand,” they said while addressing a mass-hunger strike programme in the capital on Thursday.

Speaking at the programme, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said their party will free their chairperson Khaleda Zia and realise their demands for a fair and credible election under a non-party administration through a movement.

“We want a fair election in which people will be able to put a government of their choice in place. But the government is making the situation complicated. Our leader (Khaleda) was conveyed that her punishment has been enhanced. She said she won’t bow down, no matter how much punishment she is given,” he said.

The BNP leader also called upon their party leaders and activists to take preparation for waging a strong movement. “If the political crisis is not resolved through talks, we’ll settle it on the streets.”

BNP standing committee member Moudud Ahmed urged their party men to take both physical and mental preparation for waging a movement to have their chairperson freed from jail.

“We’ll continue our movement until our demands for releasing our leader (Khaleda) and installation of the election-time government are accepted,” he added.

The BNP leader said the entire nation is now united to realise their demands. “The Oikyafront is moving ahead with a big expectation of people for ensuring a fair election under a non-party administration.”

Several hundred BNP leaders and activists joined the programme amid tight vigilance by police.

The party leaders and followers chanted various slogans demanding Khaleda’s release.


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