‘Need do-or-die movement amid the pandemic’

BNP senior leader Gayeshwar Chandra Roy yesterday said their party needs to continue its movement for the "restoration" of democracy amid coronavirus pandemic by taking the right strategy. 

"We must wage another war with courage for the restoration of democracy in this month of victory. We have to take a vow that we'll either restore democracy or die in this war," he said.

Speaking at a doa-mahfil, the BNP leader said, "Don't we have the responsibility for repaying the blood debt of the martyrs of the Liberation War? If so, why should we back off from the movement showing the excuse of coronavirus? We must move forward taking an appropriate strategy."

Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal arranged the programme at BNP's Nayapaltan central office seeking speedy recovery of party standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan who got infected with coronavirus.

Gayeshwar, a BNP standing committee member, slammed Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader for questioning BNP's ability to wage a movement, saying their party led by Khaleda Zia ousted autocratic ruler HM Ershad through a strong movement. 

"BNP... has successes in various movements in the past. We'll succeed in the future as well. We must take power back to people," he said.

The BNP leader said it will be a matter of pride if he dies on the street in the movement for the "restoration" of democracy as he survived during the Liberation War. "But it'll be painful if I die of coronavirus."

He said though their party chairperson Khaleda Zia was freed from jail through an executive order of the government, she is now under house arrest in her Gulshan residence.

"She is even unable to receive treatment for her illness," he alleged.