BNP chairperson and leader of the opposition Khaleda Zia Wednesday night demanded army deployment in the Gazipur City Corporation election scheduled on July 6.
“Election Commission has completely failed to carry out its duty in the city corporation polls. They have the chance to prove their neutrality in the Gazipur City Corporation election. That’s why I hope that the Election Commission will deploy army in the Gazipur polls for holding a free and fair election,” she said.
Khaleda was meeting with newly elected Sylhet mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury and some other elected councillors at her Gulshan office in the capital.
The former prime minister said people have replied to the government’s corruption, misdeeds and misrules through ballot in the city corporation polls. “And people will reject the government in the same way in the future,” she added.
Khaleda rejected the ruling party leaders’ claim that under the government the city corporation polls were free and fair.
“If free and fair polls were held, government-backed candidates would lose their deposit. So give up dillydallying, start thinking of a non-partisan caretaker government and create a level playing field and see who the people vote for,” she said.
Portraying a gloomy picture of the country, the BNP chief said people want deliverance from the government’s misdeeds and for this there is no alternative of holding the next elections under a non-partisan government.
“Whether BNP assumes the office or not is not the main factor, the main point is to save the country. And to save the country from the government’s clutches election under non-partisan interim government is a must.
“To compel the government to realise this demand we have to unite and decide on a movement programme.”
Khaleda warned the party leaders and activists that the government might increase repression on the opposition leaders and activists in the coming days fearing the BNP’s victory across the country.
Khaleda said, “Our victory has started from the holy place of Sylhet and I hope this will continue in the future. Not only in Sylhet but in all the city corporation polls our leaders and activists worked together.”
