BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today said the party will force the government to release BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia from jail.

The BNP leader made the remark at a protest around noon in front of the party’s Nayapaltan central office in Dhaka demanding release of Khaleda, reports Bangla daily Prothom Alo.

Addressing the programme, Fakhrul said, “We have protested against this, we have also participated in the elections. Now we will have Khaleda Zia released from prison.”

BNP organised the programme to observe and protest two years of Khaleda’s imprisonment in two corruption cases. The event began at 2:00pm.

Top leaders of the party, including Standing Committee members Moudud Ahmed, Mirza Abbas, Nazrul Islam Khan, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, and Iqbal Hasan Mahmud, among others, also addressed the programme.

The BNP chief landed in jail after being sentenced to five years’ imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case on February 8, 2018. Later, the High Court on October 30 enhanced her punishment to 10 years after dismissing her appeal. 

Khaleda was admitted to BSMMU on April 1 last year after she fell ill in jail.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today said that the entire nation is disappointed as Awami League did not outline any plan during its national council to get rid of the country’s prevailing crisis.

“Awami League has been working to establish one-party rule in the country since the last decade and the desire exposed during its council,” Fakhrul said while addressing a programme at the party’s Nayapaltan central office in Dhaka this noon.

Blaming the ruling party for destroying the country’s democratic system and ignoring its charter, Fakhrul said, “The entire nation has expected that they would see a path to retrieve the smashed democracy, but Awami League met an utter failure to show any guideline.”

Citing the country’s political and social and economic crises, the BNP leader said, “A person and a party have been praised during the council instead of getting rid the nation from the debacle.”

Responding to a query about his party’s council, he said, “We are passing through an adverse situation as no space is being given us for politics.”

The party’s organisational activities are being hampered everywhere even the party’s district and upazila level councils are being barred deliberately, the BNP leader said.

Responding to a remark of a minister that BNP-Jamaat is involved in preparing Razakars’ list, Fakhrul said, “It is nothing but an attempt to shift the blame to on another shoulder. It’s not a new and its Awami League characteristic.”

Jatiya Oikyafront Convener Dr Kamal Hossain today said no development is meaningful if people's right is not established in the country.

Dr Kamal, also president of Gonoforum, a component of Oikyafront, said this at a press briefing held at the alliance’s Purana Paltan office in Dhaka this afternoon.

However, he in a press statement expressed hope that if the government and the Election Commission hatch any blueprint for the national election, then people of the country will foil it.

Calling upon the countrymen to go to the polling stations and cast votes, Dr Kamal said, “Through casting votes to your desired candidates, ensure your (people) ownership of the country and restore its democracy”.

“The EC has to take full responsibility if it fails to hold a free, fair and credible election on December 30 and the countrymen will compel it to answer for its failure,” he said in the statement.

“The EC must ensure a peaceful atmosphere for holding a free and fair election,” the Oikyafront key leader said.

About the role of law enforcers ahead of the election, he said, “Their behaviour is not acceptable”.

He alleged that police along with the ruling party men have been putting bar on the opposition candidates during their electioneering.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today expressed his strong condemnation to the killers of Sonagazi madrasa student Nusrat Jahan Rafi.

“Rafi was killed in a diabolic way. The entire nation has burst out in anger following the death. We want exemplary punishment of the killers,” Fakhrul made the demand in the statement this evening.

Fakhrul alleged that misdeeds and misrule have taken into a horrific turn in the country and thus the miscreants are encouraging in committing such offence.

“Some unkind people poured kerosene on Nusrat and killed her by setting ablaze,” the BNP leader said seeking eternal peace of the departed soul.

Fakhrul also extended his sympathy to the bereaved family members, relatives and dear and near ones of Nusrat and offered prayer so that they can get rid of the shock.

Nusrat, who lost her battle for life last night, five days after she was set ablaze at a madrasa in Feni, was buried at a graveyard in North Charchandia village around 6:20pm.