Restore political coexistence: Khaleda

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia today called upon the government to restore political coexistence in the country and demanded quick release of her party’s sick and senior leaders from jail.

“I demand immediate release of the leaders and activists of opposition parties after withdrawing all the false cases filed out of political vengeance. Especially, I demand quick release of the sick senior leaders,” the BNP chief said in a statement, undersigned by her Press Secretary Maruf Kamal Khan.

To get bail is a general right for the arrested political leaders and activists, Khaleda said, and alleged that this right is being hampered due to strong opposition by the government.

The former premier also claimed that her party’s arrested leaders were both physically and mentally tortured after taking them on remand repeatedly with an ulterior motive.

“Many of them are elderly people and suffering from various diseases and they have become seriously ill due to lack of proper treatment in jails.”

She added: “The government is opposing to give bails to those need to go abroad for better treatment immediately. I call upon the regime to shun such inhuman attitude.”

She went on: “The ruling party is expressing joy by making static the usual activities of a party like BNP, but no one has ever got good results by halting democratic political process.

“I urge the ruling party to take lesson from the history and to restore political coexistence and normal competitive atmosphere.”

She alleged that her party’s many senior leaders, including acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, standing committee members Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Vice-President Shamser Mobin Chowdhury, Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, chairperson’s advisers MA Mannan, Shamsuzzaman Dudu, and Mosaddek Ali, have long been kept in jails in “false” cases without any trial.

The BNP chief also alleged that the cases were filed against her party leaders out of political vengeance as part of the government’s heinous plan to suppress the opposition.

Khaleda reiterated that her party’s assistant organising secretary Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu died in Rajshahi jail due to cruel negligee of the authorities concerned.

She also expressed deep concern as seriously ill Mirza Fakhrul has been recently sent back to jail without giving him proper treatment and Khandaker Mosharraf is not getting treatment after he became senseless at jail bathroom.