BANGLADESH NEWS
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia on Monday threatened tougher agitation programmes including hartal and gherao after Ramadan if the government does not restore the caretaker government system.
Addressing a mass rally in front of the BNP's Nayapaltan head office in the capital, she also announced a series of countrywide protest programmes on different issues.
According the announcement, the BNP-led 18-party opposition alliance will stage demonstrations in the capital and elsewhere of the country on June 17 and 24 and July 1, 8 and 15.
Opposition leader said the government itself has to reinstate the non-party caretaker system as it had removed it from the constitution.
She also demanded immediate release of the opposition leaders including BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
The former prime minister in her nearly hour-long address touches different issues including the murder of journalist couple Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi and Saudi Arabia diplomat and blasted the government for its failure to arrest the killers.
Criticising a government move to allow Sahara India Pariwar to invest in the real estate sector, she said: "Even one inch of land would not be given to Sahara."
Thousands of leaders and activists of 18-party alliance who have already thronged in front of the BNP central office in Nayapaltan of the capital welcomed Khaleda chanting slogans as soon as she reached the venue around 4:00pm.
The gathering of the alliance leaders and activists carrying festoons, banners and sheaves of paddy spilled over into Fakirerpool and Kakrail intersection from the Nayapaltan area.
Khaleda might declare a daylong hartal to press for the detained leaders' release, party insiders said earlier.
She would also announce agitation programmes like human chains, rallies, processions and blockades, while keeping room for talks to resolve the ongoing political stalemate, they added.
The alliance is holding the rally as the 90-day ultimatum to the government for restoration of the caretaker government system ended on Sunday without any breakthrough.
With around 30 of its senior leaders still behind bars, the alliance expected over 15 lakh people will join the gathering at Nayapaltan.
Meanwhile, acute transport crisis were reported from different parts of the capital ahead of the rally, causing immense suffering of the people.
The opposition leaders alleged that alliance supporters heading for the capital were obstructed in various areas across the country on Sunday.
On May 24, on behalf of the 18-party alliance, applications were submitted seeking permission to hold the rally at either of Paltan Maidan, Nayapaltan and Manik Mia Avenue.
From a grand rally on March 12, Khaleda Zia asked the Awami League-led grand alliance government to make a formal announcement restoring the non-party caretaker government system by June 10.
The warning, however, failed to move the Hasina administration to bring back the provision that mandated a non-elected neutral government to oversee the national polls. The provision was scrapped through a constitutional amendment in line with a Supreme Court verdict last year.
According to the existing provision, the next election will be held under the incumbent administration.
The BNP later enforced a number of shutdowns, but restrained itself from declaring any after over 30 opposition leaders were sent to jail on May 16 in an arson case filed on April 29.
Against this backdrop, Khaleda, also leader of the opposition in parliament, has apparently softened her stance. She said her party does not care about the name of the government, under which the next parliamentary polls would be held. But it has to be a non-party administration; otherwise, they will not enter into talks on the issue.
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