The BNP will continue the ongoing movement until its demand is met, party chairperson Khaleda Zia has said.
She said this in a statement issued on Thursday afternoon. This is Khlaeda's first statement in a month since her party enforced a countrywide blockade on January 5.
However, the statement said nothing whether the ongoing blockade will be continued or not.
“The BNP-led 20-party alliance has been continuing the movement to restore democracy by holding a free, fair and peaceful election with the participation of all parties,” reads the statement.
“The movement will continue until a reasonable decision comes over the matter.”
In the statement, Khaleda said: “Awami League did not agree on any negotiation as the party aimed at clinging to power. Even the ruling government is not willing to acknowledge the political crisis as they have clutched the power through electoral farce.”
Awami League thinks the expectation of the people can be suppressed by the state-launched terror, she observed.
“We have our backs to the wall. Without movement, no other way is kept open for the countrymen.”
So, not for power, but for democracy, basic human rights of the people, rights to vote and to restore peace, security, rule of law and to ensure justice, our movement will continue until the goal is achieved, she narrated.
“I call upon all the people to participate in the movement,” said Khaleda.
On January 5, BNP chief called the indefinite blockade as she was barred to come out from her Gulshan party office to join a rally in the party’s Nayapaltan office.
At least 50 people were killed in the month-long blockade and intermittent hartals enforced by the opposition alliance.
Several leaders and activists of the BNP and its allies were arrested for carrying out arson and vandalism and instigating violence during the blockade and hartal programmes.
Hundreds of vehicles, including those belonging to law-enforcers, were burnt and attacked.
On Saturday, the authorities disconnected the power supply and snapped all kinds of voice and data connections to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan political office where Khaleda is staying since January 3.
Protesting the disconnection of the utility services to party Chief Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan office in Dhaka, BNP called a 72-hour strike that started at 6am Sunday and continued 6am on Wednesday.
Later, the hartal was extended till 6pm Thursday.
BNP enforced the hartal despite nationwide secondary school certificate (SSC) examinations in which about 1.5 million students are taking part.
