Talks, polls can’t be fruitful with Khaleda in jail: BNP

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today said no dialogue and election will be fruitful keeping their chairperson Khaleda Zia in jail.

A day before Oikyafront's scheduled talks with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, he came up with the remark at a human-chain programme in front of the Jatiya Press Club in Dhaka.

"The government on one hand has offered dialogue and extended Khaleda Zia's punishment on the other. These are two conflicting moves, which don't demonstrate the government's sincerity for talks," Fakhrul said.

He further said, "Neither any dialogue nor any election will be fruitful keeping Khaleda Zia in jail. So, we would like to call upon you please return to the path of democracy and create a democratic atmosphere."

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The BNP leader said the government must fully accept Oikyafront's seven-point demand for holding a credible and neutral election. "First of all, our leader (Khaleda) must be freed as no election can be meaningful without her release."

BNP formed the human chain protesting the conviction of its chairperson Khaleda Zia in Zia Charitable Trust corruption case.

Several hundred BNP leaders and followers formed the human chain around 11:00am in front of the Jatiya Press Club amid tight security.

They chanted various slogans demanding the immediate release of their leader Khaleda Zia.

Police cordoned off the protesters to fend off any trouble.

BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Monday announced a three-day countrywide programme, including the human chain, protesting the conviction of its Chairperson Khaleda Zia in the Zia Charitable Trust graft case.

As part of the programme, the party will also observe a token mass-hunger strike on Thursday in all metropolitan cities and district towns.

On Monday, a Dhaka court sentenced BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and three others to seven years' rigorous imprisonment each in the much-talked-about Zia Charitable Trust corruption case.