Khaleda asks Hasina to step down right now

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SYLHET, Oct 11: Opposition Leader Khaleda Zia today asked the government to step down right now to make way for early elections under a caretaker administration, reports UNB. "If you delay, people will pull you down.you won't get time to flee," she said at a mammoth public rally at Alia Madrasa Maidan here in the afternoon ending her maiden anti-government road march to this 'city of saints' from capital Dhaka. Recounting her anti-autocracy movement in '80s, Khaleda said she had once taken to the streets to oust the dictator (Ershad) and now she would not return home without ousting the present "repressive" regime. "Let's roar once again. The regime must concede defeat to the people. Victory is a must and imminent," she said amid thunderous slogans and clappings. Indicating India, the BNP chairperson said the government is deeply engaged in making Bangladesh a vassal state. She alleged that India wants to cripple Bangladesh and rule the country from New Delhi. Criticising the government's weak-kneed policy, she said the Prime Minister is now functioning as a Chief Minister. "The government wants to sell out the country, but they won't be able to do it as they lost their credibility to the people," Khaleda said, adding: "We won't allow anyone to play with Bangladesh." Referring to the 1971 war of liberation, she said "If necessary, we will launch another struggle like that of 1971 to foil conspiracy and protect the country." Thousands of people raised their hands and shouted "yes" when Khaleda asked whether they would join the post-Road March movement against the government. The former Prime Minister urged the people to stand united to save the country from the "repressive and corrupt" regime. In her about 50-minute speech, she brought a series of allegations against the nearly three-year-old government of Sheikh Hasina. The BNP chairperson charged the government with corruption in setting up rental power plants without tender, plundering money from stock market, and the Padma Bridge project that led to the suspension of the fund by the World Bank.