Senior BNP leaders apologise to Khaleda for ‘failure to free her’

BNP senior leaders yesterday apologised to their party chairperson Khaleda Zia for their failure to wage a strong movement or take any step for her release from jail over the last three years.

They, however, vowed to take to the streets soon by organising their party rank and file to have Khaleda freed from jail.

"I humbly apologise to our imprisoned leader Begum Khaleda Zia and acting chairman Tarique Rahman as we're so unfortunate and so unsuccessful that we've not been able to take any step to free them," said party standing committee member Mirza Abbas.

Speaking at a protest rally, he also said Khaleda Zia will not be in jail forever as their party's movement will gradually intensify, paving the way for her release.

"We want to say firmly that we'll take to the streets soon reorganising the party to completely free Begum Khaleda Zia from jail and bring Tarique Rahman back home," the BNP leader said.

As part of BNP's countrywide programme, its Dhaka south and north city units jointly arranged the programme in front of Jatiya Press Club, marking the third anniversary of the imprisonment of Khaleda Zia in a graft case.

BNP standing committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy said their party must wage a "war" in a democratic manner to "restore" democracy in the country.

"That war won't be limited to only slogans. We'll have to free Khaleda Zia through that war for the sake of the country and democracy. Her release will pave the way for the restoration of democracy," he observed.

Gayeshwar said the Election Commission has been working to appease the government instead of ensuring credible elections.

He said Khaleda Zia has now been under house arrest as the government kept her in her Gulshan residence instead of custody to avert any untoward incident amid the coronavirus. "Even, Khaleda Zia cannot meet her brother and sister."

Several BNP leaders and activists joined the programme.

PROVE AL JAZEERA REPORT FALSE

BNP also urged the government to prove the Qatar-based news  channel Al Jazeera's recent report on Bangladesh "false" and promised to  cooperate with it in this regard.

"We didn't liberate the  country to hear that Bangladesh is run by mafias and it has become a  mafia state. We don't want to hear it at the time of our independence's  golden jubilee," said Mirza Abbas.

He said, "We would like to tell the government  please prove that everything that came out in Al Jazeera (report) is a  lie. We'll support and cooperate with you, but you have to prove it."

Abbas said the government is making  "hollow statements" over the report instead of refuting it  with facts and evidence.

He criticised Foreign Minister AK Abdul  Momen for his comment that Bangladesh is going to sue Al Jazeera for  airing the report "All the Prime Minister's Men" with incorrect  information.

"Don't waste time saying what you can't do. If you can sue, show it by  filing a case," Abbas said.

Gayeshwar Chandra Roy said all that have been published in Al-Jazeera  are just a trivial part of huge corruption in Bangladesh. "You have to prove that Al Jazeera is not right. People want to get rid of the stigma of the report," Gayeshwar said.