BNP announces fresh protest to demand release of Zia

Major opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) yesterday announced a two-day countrywide fresh programme, including formation of human chain in the capital Dhaka, demanding its chairperson Khaleda Zia’s release from jail.As part of the programme, the BNP will form a human chain for an hour tomorrow and stage a sit-in for another hour on Thursday, BNP senior leader Ruhul Rizvi told reporters yesterday.“We’ll form human chains across the country from 11am to 12 noon on Tuesday while stage sit-in on Thursday at the same time demanding the unconditional release of our chairperson Khaleda Zia,” he said.Rizvi said they will later announce the name of the venue to observe the two programmes in the capital.BNP’s last programme was countrywide leaflet distribution on March 1 demanding Zia’s release.After the jailing of Zia, the party observed different peaceful programmes, including leaflet distribution, countrywide demonstration, human-chain formation, sit-in, token hunger-strike, protest procession in five phases, demanding her release. On February 8, BNP chairperson Zia was sent to jail after a special court sentenced her to five years’ rigorous imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.Rizvi alleged that BNP’s leaders and activists are being tortured after taking them on remand. “Thousands of BNP leaders and activists have been kept in jail ahead of the next polls. They’re being oppressed in the name of remand.”He said that party senior joint secretary general Syed Alal has been kept in solitary confinement at Kashimpur High Security Central Jail where usually hardened criminals are kept.On the other hand, the BNP leader said, those involved in plundering public money from different banks have been kept with various facilities at the newly built Keraniganj Central Jail. “The politicians are being subjected to such brutal attitude of the current government. We strongly condemn it,” he added.Rizvi demanded the government immediately release their party’s all arrested leaders and activists.Senior BNP leader Amir Chowdhury alleged that government was gradually ‘squeezing’ political space so that BNP could not join the next general election. “They (government) are shrinking the political space. They’ll create a situation where BNP won’t be able to participate in the election and realise people’s voting and other rights,” he said.Speaking at a discussion, the BNP leader said that three state organs are helping the government gradually reduce the political space.Referring to a recent global survey report where Bangladesh was put at 102 among 113 countries of the world in context to adherence to the rule of law, Chowdhury said it has a co-relation with the jailing of Zia on ‘false documents’ and sending Chief Justice S K Sinha on force retirement.He said BNP needs not to go to foreigners with complaints as the UN and other organisations are aware of the condition of the rule of law, human rights and freedom of speech in Bangladesh.The BNP leader said all the foreign delegations visiting the country are talking about a neutral, credible and participatory election. “They’re speaking about giving the opposition political space and allowing holding rallies and ensuring political rights.” He urged the government to pay heed to the foreigners’ advice, and come to the path of democracy, shunning its despotic attitude, in the interest of the country and its people.