BNP senior leader Gayeshwar Chandra Roy on Friday said the government must bow down to the 18 crore people of the country on the question of fair and impartial election.

“The country’s 18 crore people do not have the support for this government...the government has to bow down to 18 crore people,” he said.

Talking to reporters after paying homage to BNP founder Ziaur Rahman, he said the democratic countries are raising their voices in favour of democracy, human rights, justice, and voting rights of people in Bangladesh as part of their responsibility.

Gayeshwar, a BNP standing committee member said their party is least bothered about whether the government is yielding to foreigners or not since people will force the regime to quit.

Replying to a question, he said foreigners are taking the side of people under the current context of the country.

The BNP leader said their party is fighting for democracy while the foreigners are speaking for democracy.

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“We want justice and they (foreigners) also want justice in the country. They don't want to see the violation of people's rights. They speak about human rights and raise their voices against killing and enforced disappearances...they’re speaking for the people of our country from their own considerations,” he observed.

Gayeshwar said the BNP wants to establish social justice, multi-party democracy, and people's right to vote and their other constitutional rights. “As per that promise, we are fighting on the streets to bring back democracy in the country.”

Gayeshwar said Ziaur Rahman liberated the country by fighting for nine months at the front.

After the tragic death of Ziaur Rahman in Chattogram Circuit House, he recalled, about 30 lakh people participated in his janaza which is unprecedented in the history of the country.

Earlier, BNP leaders and activists, led by its standing committee members, placed a wreath at Zia’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar grave around 10:30am to pay tributes to him.

They also joined a special prayer (munajat) seeking salvation for Zia’s departed soul and the good health of party Chairperson Khaleda Zia.

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BNP Standing Committee members Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Vice-Chairmen Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, Shahjahan Omar, Ahmed Azam Khan and AZM Zahid Hossain, Chairperson’s Advisers Abdus Salam, Amanullah Aman, Abul Khair Bhuiyan, Habibur Rahman Habib, senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, joint secretaries general Khairul Kabir Khoko, Habibun Nabi Khan Sohel and publicity affairs secretary Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anne, were, among others, present.

Leaders and activists of different units and associate bodies of the party also laid wreaths at the late president’s grave. BNP and its associate bodies are celebrating the founding anniversary with various programs across the country.

Ziaur Rahman founded the party on September 1, 1978 with a 19-point charter to build a self-reliant Bangladesh. After his assassination on May 30, 1981, his widow Begum Khaleda Zia took over the party leadership.

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