Hasan: Khaleda Zia attending Dec 10 rally is unrealistic

The idea of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, convicted in corruption cases, joining her party's rally in Dhaka scheduled for December 10 is unrealistic and imaginary, Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud has said. 

"The BNP chief is residing at home and outside the prison by the kindness of Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh Hasina. Now if the BNP thinks differently then the government will be forced to send him to jail," he told reporters at Government Haji Mohammad Mohsin College in Chittagong yesterday.

Dr Hasan said the BNP does not want to hold its rally at Suhrawardy Udyan for two reasons. 

"Firstly, they are sure that there will not be more than 50,000 people in their rally. That's why they don't want to go to Suhrawardy Udyan,” the AL joint secretary said.

"The other reason is that Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman called for independence from Suhrawardy Udyan [on March 7, 1961]…in fact, he declared independence.

"And that's the place where the Pakistani army surrendered. The BNP is a friend of Pakistan…their secretary general said Pakistan was better. So the ground where Bangabandhu called for independence is not their priority."

The minister warned that people will resist if the BNP supporters create chaos in the name of movement.

On October 8, Dhaka North City unit BNP Convener Aman Ullah Aman at a program announced that the country will run as per the directives of Khaleda Zia and her son Tarique Rahman after December 10.

Two days later, BNP chairperson's adviser Zainul Abedin Farroque said Khaleda will join the rally and later some other party low-tier leaders echoed Aman and Farroque.

BNP senior leaders, however, said the remarks of Aman and Farroque about Khaleda are their personal opinions.

Amid such speculation, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan on Wednesday warned that the court will take steps if Khaleda, who has been temporarily freed from jail on conditions, attends the party's December 10 rally in Dhaka.

Law Minister Anisul Huq on Thursday at a program in Narayanganj said Khaleda was freed suspending her sentence on conditions as her family submitted an application saying she was too sick to move.

“If Khaleda Zia now joins BNP's rally on December 10, then it'll be proved that what was written in her family's application was false,” he said.