Dhaka, Nov 1 (UNB) – As part of its countrywide programme, BNP leaders and activists started observing a six-hour mass hunger strike in the city on Thursday, protesting the conviction of its chairperson Khaleda Zia in Zia Charitable Trust graft case.

The protest programme began around 10am at Mohanagar Natya Mancha in the capital and it will continue till 4pm.

Several hundred leaders and activists joined the programme amid tight vigilance by police.

BNP senior leaders, including its secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, is scheduled to address the programme.

Besides, the leaders of other political parties, pro-BNP intellectuals and professionals are likely to express their solidarity with the programme.

Similar programmes are being observed in other districts and metropolitan cities.

On Wednesday, the party formed human chains in the capital and elsewhere in the country while staged demonstrations on Tuesday.

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

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

Dhaka, Oct 31 (UNB) – As the Prime Minister has responded to the requests of political parties and alliances to engage in talks, Jatiya Party (JaPa) Chairman HM Ershad on Wednesday sent a letter to Sheikh Hasina seeking dialogue with her party over the upcoming general election.

Sunil Shuvo Roy, press and political secretary to JaPa Chairman HM Ershad, handed over the letter to the Prime Minister’s Office around 12:15 pm.

Ershad, on behalf of United National Alliance (Shammilito Jatiya Jote), signed the letter, Sunil Shuvo Roy told UNB.

On Sunday, Dr Kamal Hossain, in favour of Jatiya Oikyafront, sent a letter to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina seeking dialogue. In response to it, Sheikh Hasina sent a letter to Dr Kamal on Tuesday morning and invited Oikyafront leaders to join the dialogue at 7 pm on Thursday at Ganobhaban.

Welcoming Prime Minister’s decision to hold talks with political parties, President of Bikolpo Dhara Bangladesh (BDB) Dr AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury on Tuesday also sent a letter to the Awami League chief for engaging in dialogue over the same issue.

Replying to it, Sheikh Hasina sent a letter to B Chowdhury inviting his party to join the dialogue at Ganobhaban on Friday evening.

Dhaka, Oct 31 (UNB) – BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday 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 the city.

“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.”

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.”    

He said a credible election cannot be held in an atmosphere where the ruling party leaders are carrying out ‘unilateral’ election campaign using helicopters while BNP leaders and activists are either in jail or on the run.

Fakhrul called upon the people of all walks of life to get united and organised to ‘restore’ democracy and their voting rights.
 
BNP standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain alleged that doubling the punishment of their chairperson by the High Court in Zia Orphanage Trust case is an unusual and unprecedented incident. 

He alleged that the government is trying to keep BNP and Khaleda Zia away from the next general election.
 
The BNP leader warned that the country’s people will not allow the government to hold any ‘lopsided’ election like 2014 one without the participation of BNP and Khaleda Zia.

“We want to join the election with our leader (Khaleda). So, we urge the government to free her and accept our seven-point demand. Or else, you (govt) will have to shoulder the responsibility if any disorder is created in the country,” he added.

BNP’s another standing committee member Moudud Ahmed said though the ruling party ministers had long been saying not to engage in talks, the party has now agreed to hold dialogue realising the nation’s aspiration.

“We would like to say dialogue, election and movement will continue together. We’ll carry out our movement until we succeed,” he added.

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

Several hundred BNP leaders and followers formed the human chain around 11:00 am 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 assistant office secretary Taiful Islam Tipu said law enforcers arrested their party’s some leaders and activists on their way back home after joining the human chain programme.

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.
 

Dhaka, Oct 31 (UNB) – As part of its countrywide scheduled programme, BNP leaders and activists formed a human chain in the city on Wednesday protesting against the conviction of its chairperson Khaleda Zia in Zia Charitable Trust graft case.

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

They chanted different slogans demanding the release of their leader Khaleda Zia immediately.

BNP senior leaders including its secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir is scheduled to address the programme which will be ended at noon.

Police cordoned off the protesters to fend off any trouble.

All metropolitan city and district units of the party are also scheduled to observe the programmes at their convenient time and places.

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 programmes, 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.

Dhaka, Oct 30 (UNB) – Welcoming Prime Minister’s decision on holding talks with political parties, President of Bikolpo Dhara Bangladesh (BDB) Dr AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury on Tuesday sent a letter to Sheikh Hasina seeking dialogue with her party.

BDB presidium member Abdur Rouf and organising secretary Omar Farroque carried the letter to Awami League President’s Dhanmondi Office around 6pm, B Chowdhury’s press secretary Jahangir Alam told UNB.

Earlier at a meeting, BDB presidium members welcomed the Prime Minister’s response to political parties’ proposal for engaging in dialogue and expressed their desire for talks with her.   

Following the presidium members’ decision, B Chowdhury sent the letter to the Prime Minister.
  
In the letter, B Chwodhury said, “We’re pleased that you’ve extended offer to engage in political dialogue to resolve the problems over the election. We, on behalf of Jukta Front and Bikolpo Dhara Bangladesh, sincerely thank you.”

“We’ll be happy if you invite us to join dialogue with you at your convenient time. We believe it’s possible to resolve all the problems through our will and cordiality,” he wrote in the letter.     

On Sunday, Dr Kamal Hossain, in favour of Jatiya Oikyafront, sent a letter to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina seeking dialogue over the national election.

In response to it, Sheikh Hasina sent a letter to Dr Kamal on Tuesday morning and invited Oikyafront leaders to join the dialogue at 7pm on Thursday at Ganobhaban.