Stay united, continue movement peacefully

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has asked the party men to stay united and continue the ongoing movement peacefully, said party leaders who met her at jail yesterday.

They also said Khaleda expressed satisfaction with the party's ongoing movement and encouraged the party leaders to keep their morale high and not to be misguided.

She urged the party colleagues not to heed anyone's provocations, said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

Talking to reporters after visiting Khaleda at old Central Jail on Nazimuddin Road, Fakhrul said, “She asked us to inform the people of the country that her health is good. She said she is ready for any sacrifice for the sake of the country, for the sake of democracy.

“So far, we have understood after speaking to her that her mental strength is very strong. She is facing an adverse situation with courage. She is thinking about the country even if she is languishing in jail.”

Khaleda was sent to jail in a “false case”, Fakhrul said, alleging that the ruling party had been hatching various conspiracies to prolong her detention.

In reply to a query, he said, “The party is now running under a joint leadership. We are making decisions after consulting with the acting chairman [Tarique Rahman].”

An eight-member BNP delegation, including Fakhrul, met Khaleda in prison.

Fakhrul along with BNP standing committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Moudud Ahmed, Mahbubur Rahman, Abdul Moyeen Khan, Mirza Abbas and Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury entered the jail premises around 2:50pm. Another Standing Committee Member Jamiruddin Sircar joined them later. They stayed there until 4:30pm.

Khaleda was sent to jail on February 8 after a special court sentenced her to five years' rigorous imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.

After she landed in jail, the senior BNP leaders for the first time met their party chief inside the jail. Earlier, Khaleda's relatives and lawyers met her.

Khaleda asked party leaders to be united and continue the movement, keeping the country and its people in mind, a senior BNP leader, who was in the delegation, told The Daily Star.

The BNP leaders visited Khaleda just a day before her one-month stay in jail.

Khaleda apprehended that her bail might be delayed, the leaders said, adding that they assured her that they were united and there was no need to worry about it.

Later in the day, Fakhrul and Mirza Abbas held a meeting with Dhaka district leaders at the party chief's Gulshan office.

Fakhrul told them that Khaleda had been in prison for around a month and many were yet to take part in the party programmes, said meeting sources.

He urged the party leaders to participate in the programmes.