Bangladesh News

Taking a swipe at the Awami League-led alliance for its anti-election campaign, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia yesterday urged people to resist the alliance’s move to foil the January 22 polls.

“Give the poll-boycotting parties a befitting reply so that they never come to you to seek votes,” she told a wayside public meeting at Chandina Bazar during her daylong electioneering in a number of places in the district.

Addressing the meeting at Chandina Bazar, Khaleda sought votes for BNP-led alliance candidate Khorshed Alam from Comilla-6 constituency.

Redwan Ahmed, who recently joined the LDP, was elected MP with BNP ticket from the constituency in the last parliamentary elections.

The BNP chairperson said the January 22 election is very important to protect people’s rights, constitution and democracy. She urged the people to go to polling centres along with their family members on the day to cast their votes.

Khaleda said the AL-led alliance is now in serious trouble by forming a grand alliance. “Sensing that their (14-party) victory in the election is unlikely, they started placing demands one after another to the caretaker government,” the BNP chairperson said.

She said after accepting its all demands, the 14-party alliance had announced to participate in the January 22 polls and started election works, including seat sharing and nomination filing.

“But the alliance candidates withdrew their nomination papers on January 3 after calculating that it would not be possible for them to go to power,” Khaleda said, adding that they have chosen the path of destructive politics by enforcing hartal and blockade.

Khaleda said the BNP-led alliance, other political parties and individual candidates will participate in the January 22 elections.

She said, “People are now fed-up with the destructive programmes of the AL-led alliance and have started raising their voice against blockade as they are ready for election.”

The BNP chairperson also carried out mass contact in a number of places of Comilla Sadar (Comilla-8) from where she is contesting the polls.