BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia yesterday called upon Rawshan Ershad, leader of the opposition in parliament, to step down if the latter wanted to save her “face and skin.”
The former leader of the opposition set out the call while addressing the biannual conference of a faction of the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists in the capital’s National Press Club in the afternoon.
“You [Rawshan] said you had participated in the [national] election in the face of pressure. We too were under pressure, but we boycotted the election considering people’s will. That means you must have carried out such misdeeds that it became tough for you to ignore the pressure,” Khaleda said.
She also warned the incumbent leader of the opposition to get ready for similar pressures in the future.
In her 50-minute speech, Khaleda strongly criticised a series of recent events and also came down hard on a number of individuals.
Slamming the “Lakho Konthe Sonar Bangla” programme held on the Independence Day, she said: “There is no point in singing the national anthem spending crores of taka. You [government] cannot make it to the Guinness book in this way.”
She affirmed that her party would wage such a strong movement that would automatically make the record books. “When people will take to the streets and give rise to a mass upsurge, it will be in the Guinness book.”
Claiming that the movement to oust the “illegal” government was still very much on, Khaleda said her party would start the preparations for a stronger movement after the upazila elections ended on March 31.
Referring to the ongoing upazila polls, the BNP chief said the local body polls had “already proven” that fair election was “not possible” under the Awami League-led government.
“Not just the people of the country, even foreigners have been calling for initiatives to start a dialogue with all the parties for paving the way for a fair and inclusive election. Any delay will not be accepted,” she said.
Regarding the trial of war criminals, Khaleda said: “The Awami League always talks about Rajakars; but they themselves do not know how many Rajakars are inside their party. Where was former home minister [Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir] during the Liberation War? He was serving the Pakistani administration that time.”
She also wanted the government to explain the 1971 role and whereabouts of HM Ershad – now a special envoy to the prime minister.
Khaleda accused the ruling Awami League of “not taking part” in the Liberation War. “They were not freedom fighters, who fought from the front. Rather they were refugee freedom fighters.”
A few days ago, Khaleda Zia followed her eldest son Tarique Rahman to claim that her husband and BNP founder Ziaur Rahman was the first president of Bangladesh because “he was the one who had proclaimed independence.”
She urged the teachers of the country to come forward in writing the “true” history of the country.
Calling upon the government to reopen the closed media houses and stop “repressing” journalists, Khaleda pledged: “When we come to power again, we will bring out new newspapers and create job opportunities for journalists.”
