Khaleda to party activists: Stay united to face upcoming danger

Pointing at the verdict in her graft case to be delivered on February 8, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia on Saturday urged her party leaders and activists to remain united and face together any upcoming danger in a peaceful and democratic manner. “I would like to say I’m always with you and will be with you wherever I stay. Let’s face any type of upcoming danger together… We’ll work together in our good days, too,” she said. Khaleda was addressing the inaugural session of the party’s national executive committee’s daylong meeting that started at Hotel Le Meridian in Dhaka in the morning. She further said: “We’ll have to be courageous to register our protest against any type of injustice and put up resistance against any injudicious move.” The former prime minister, however, asked her party leaders and activists to carry out their protest programs in a peaceful and democratic manner. “I also urge the country’s people involved in peaceful programs of BNP and the BNP-led 20-party alliance to come forward to restore democracy in the country.” She promised to recognize sacrifices and efforts of those of her party men who would remain with the party and sincerely work for it during its bad days.‘Betrayers won’t be forgiven this time’BNP Chairperson Khaleda warned that the BNP leaders who would betray the party would neither be given any position in the party nor be forgiven. “From today’s meeting, I would like to urge all to remain united in any circumstances. There’ll be various plots and repressive acts against you. They will try to harass you in every way but don’t get afraid,” Khaleda said. She also warned that those who will maintain secret contacts with the government and betray BNP can easily be identified, and they will not be forgiven this time.‘Lower courts under grip of govt’Earlier, Khaleda said lower courts in the country were now under the grip of the government. “Lower courts do not have the power to deliver proper judgments.” Turning to the graft case verdict to be delivered against her, she said: “The Supreme Court said lower courts are under the grasp of the government. They can’t work independently and deliver verdicts properly. “We’ve seen the consequences of delivering proper judgments. A lower court judge had to leave the country for delivering the right verdict in a graft case against BNP Vice Chairman Tarique Rahman,” she said.‘AL scared of polls’Khaleda Zia said: “They’re holding the trial to keep BNP out of the next general elections [slated for December this year]. But why are they holding the trial? How can a trial be held, whereas no crime was committed? They [the government] are doing everything abusing their power. “We’ve no fear, but they [Awami League] are scared. As per the prime minister’s announcement, the polls will be held in December. If so, why they’ve started their electoral campaigns so early?  They’ve no confidence in themselves.” The inaugural session started at 11:05 am where a condolence motion was adopted for the eminent personalities and party activists who have died recently. The BNP leaders and activists observed a minute’s silence to show respect to them. Organizational reports were be placed by BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir at the session. BNP chief Khaleda was supposed to give fresh directives to her party leaders and activists about their next course of action and future movements centering on the elections. In the concluding session of the meeting, a closed-door meeting was held between Khaleda Zia and the party’s top leaders. Over 500 leaders, including Standing Committee members, executive committee members, and vice-chairmen, advisers to the chairpersons, and presidents and general secretaries of the party’s different associate bodies, attended the meeting.