Terming the present Awami League-led coalition government illegal, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia said an immediate re-election under a non-party government was necessary, otherwise the country would fall into crisis.
Addressing an iftar party arranged by the Association of Engineers, Bangladesh (AEB) at Bashundhara International Convension Centre in the capital yesterday, the former prime minister said: “The Awami League government is only busy in looting the state’s assets, but they have no focus on the countrymen and their livelihoods. This is called the Awami League, and this is their ideal.”
Khaleda Zia sought the help of the people of the country to support BNP’s movement to recover the country’s democracy.
“People want a peaceful life, security, development, transparency. But the present illegal government has failed to meet the public needs. If the Awami League wants peace for the people, they will arrange polls immediately with the participation of all parties,” she said.
However, Awami League Presidium Member and spokesperson of the Awami League-led 14-party alliance Mohammad Nasim denied any chances of national polls before 2019.
“We do not want to keep any political party away from polls, so Khaleda should resolve her legal problems and prepare for the upcoming 2019 elections,” said Nasim, also the health and family welfare minister, at a religious function in Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy yesterday.
Referring to a recent comment by the BNP chairperson that petrol bombs were thrown by police members at people during the 92-day blockade and hartal programme, Nasim said: “One can imagine how politically bankrupt a person can be to say so. But it also indicates how frustrated she is.”
