The leader of the opposition, Khaleda Zia, urged the nation to boycott the January 5 elections on Friday, two days before the polls is set to be held.
She made the call by issuing a written statement on Friday evening, a day after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina addressed the nation as Awami League chief and requested all to cast votes for the ruling party.
In her statement, Khaleda said: “I am urging you all to boycott this farcical election as the polls will not be considered legal both home and abroad.
The Awami League government will appear illegal through arranging these farcical elections,” she added.
Khaleda said: “The government has established the rule of force across the country in order to stop people from protesting the farce legally.”
She said: “The people of the country are observing democratic programmes against the state sponsored terrorism in order to protect their democratic and voting rights.”
Referring to December 29 programme what the BNP called a “March for Democracy”, she said: “I announced the march for democracy programme to boost the ongoing democratic movement. But, the entire nation witnessed that the government has obstructed the people joining the rally Nazi-style.”
She further said: “They have launched attacks on lawyers and teachers of Dhaka University. The government tried to obstruct people joining the peaceful programme by stopping plying vehicles on roads.”
She claimed that the government has proven that it has accepted defeat by obstructing people from joining the peaceful programme.
Meanwhile, she thanked those who came to Dhaka from different parts of the country to attend the rally.
The BNP chief urged the countrymen to continue the ongoing anti-government movement.
Addressing her party members, she said: “Make every area, village and locality as a fort of democratic movement.”
Referring to her ‘confinement’, she said: “I do not fear confinement, house arrest or imprisonment. I have faith on the almighty and the people of the country. I believe that the government is moving towards its destruction by arranging January 5 polls.”
