Demanding withdrawal of the state of emergency, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia yesterday questioned whether the government wants to hold the elections under the emergency to arrange selection of the next government.
She said, “Even though they [the caretaker government] are talking about restoration of democracy, we think they want to establish a controlled democracy.”
The former premier said this while addressing a views-exchange meeting with leaders and activists of Jatiyatabadi Krishak Dal at her Gulshan office last night.
“They are talking about holding the elections but they are yet to lift the state of emergency. We are unsure whether they want to arrange selection in the name of polls with the state of emergency enforced,” she said.
Khaleda said voters will not be able to cast their votes freely under the emergency and many candidates and polling agents will not be able to be in the polling centres if they are threatened.
The BNP chairperson called on party leaders and activists to prepare for elections and movement.
She said, “For whose interest the government is keeping the state of emergency enforced?”
“The government will have to lift the state of emergency completely if they want to hold elections,” Khaleda Zia said.
She said, “It is clear that they want to hold the elections keeping the BNP-led alliance out of the race.”
Khaleda said, “How will the BNP-led four-party alliance take part in the elections when its leaders are kept behind bars and the government keeps the state of emergency enforced?”
She said, “Any election without the BNP-led alliance’s participation would not be acceptable and the government has to realise this.”
The former premier claimed that industrial output, export and import have dropped and the country is facing multiple problems due to the state of emergency. She said the government is yet to pay heed to this problem.
“The government is talking about creating a level playing field but how could there be a level playing field when all our party men are behind bars and all the people of another party are outside,” she said.
The government is interested in holding the elections excluding her party, Khaleda said, adding, “We will have to be united and protest against this.”
“We suffered severe torture and repression… many of our party leaders are still behind bars… repression of BNP still goes on,” she said.
“The government is filing fresh cases against our party leaders while talking about holding of a free, fair and credible election participated by all,” said Khaleda.
The government says that the elections will be held on December 18 but there is no atmosphere for elections, she claimed.
She alleged that a conspiracy is being hatched to destroy the economy and politics of the country. “We do not think that the government is doing all this… may be there is a stronger power behind the government,” she said, adding that the government will have to look into it since it is running the country.
BNP Vice-president Sarwari Rahman and Joint Secretary General Nazrul Islam Khan were present at the meeting among others.
Categories: Bangla, Bangladesh, Bangladesh News, Bangladesh Politics, Daily Bangladesh News, Politics
