Bangladesh Nationalist Party Chairperson Khaleda Zia has announced to go ahead with the ongoing anti-government agitation “till it achieves the desired goal”.
Addressing a media briefing on Friday,second by her in last over two months, she squarely blamed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for the current political standoff. “The country is passing through a critical situation and Sheikh Hasina is the main creator of the crisis,” she told the briefing where she did not take questions from journalists.
Ms. Khaleda, however, said country’s prevailing crisis will be solved if the prime minister takes initiatives for a compromise. “We hope the good sense will prevail upon the government and it will take initiative for a compromise.”
Ignoring calls from almost all quarters to end the nation’s longest violence which has already claimed lives of 130 people and badly burnt further several hundreds, the former prime minister described over two month-long agitation as “peaceful and “democratic”. The casualties and injuries were caused mostly in mindless arson attack on vehicles by the alleged anti-government activists .
Explaining the position of her party and alliance in the context of the latest political scenario, Ms. Khaleda placed a four-pint demand including an immediate dialogue for holding an inclusive general election under a nonparty caretaker government. The country’s economy has bore the maximum brunt of the ongoing demonstration.
Reading out a written text, she tried to justify the prolonged blockade on top of intermittent violence marred hartals, which entered its 67th day Friday.
Ms. Khaleda also demanded the release of the detained leaders and activists of her party and withdrawal of the “false cases “against them, and alleged that the government was carrying out “subversive activities” to brand their “democratic movement” as militant activities.
The media briefing was held when Ms. Khaleda is facing arrest warrants in several graft cases.
