BNP starts reorganising party to launch movement: Mosharraf

BNP senior leader Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said on Saturday they have started reorganising their party to launch a movement for getting its chairperson Khaleda Zia released from jail, report agencies.

"The work on overhauling our party has already begun. We'll strengthen the party by identifying our weaknesses. You (party activists) don't get upset," he said.

Speaking at a discussion at the National Press Club on two books written by party leader Taimur Alam Khandaker, the BNP leader also said falsehood has been established defeating the truth in a civilized and democratic society through the December-30 election.

"Mother of democracy Khaleda Zia has been kept in jail. We must wage a movement to free her from jail after strengthening the party. So, wake up instead of getting demoralised," he said pointing at party leaders and activists.

Mosharraf, a BNP standing committee member, said democracy in the country has been destroyed through an unprecedented farce while people's rights have been snatched. "I don't believe people will sit idle under such a situation."

He said BNP leaders and activists have got a big scope to restore democracy in the country. "As a major party, it's our responsibility to restore democracy. I think people are ready for it and so is BNP. But we need some time to strengthen our party."

He said their party leaders and activists have got stunned, not frustrated, seeing the farce in the name of election and vote 'robbery' on December 29.

The BNP leader warned that the government will not be able to cling to power as it 'robbed' people's votes. "People will surely establish their rights, restore democracy and free Khaleda Zia. No autocrat regime could hang onto power in the past and this regime won't be able to do so either."

Mosharraf, in the wake of devastating fire in the capital's Chawkbazar area, urged the government to allocate a specific place for chemical warehouses and its business.

"Old Dhaka is a residential area. All the chemical warehouses and shops should be immediately relocated from there. A separate place for the chemical business and storage should be allocated soon," said BNP standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain.

Otherwise, he warned, the Chawkbazar's Churihatta tragedy may recur at any place in the old part of Dhaka. "We don't want to see such a tragic incident again."

He criticised the government for not taking any step to shift the chemical shops and warehouses from Old Dhaka even after the Nimtoil fire that took 124 lives in 2010.

"Police and those who conducted the rescue operation after Churihatta fire incident said they recovered hundreds of drums of explosives and chemicals. If this is the case, what the government did over the last nine years after the Nimtoil tragedy. They (govt) talk about many things but don't implement those," the BNP leader said.

He also slammed the government for not implementing the recommendations made by the probe committee formed following Nimtoil tragedy.

A fire that broke out at a four-storey Haji Wahed Mansion at Chakbazar's Churihatta on Wednesday night killed 67 people and injured many others.