BNP-led 18-Party Alliance emerges
Thursday, 19 April 2012
Opposition leader Khaleda Zia has announced the '18-Party Alliance', drafting in 12 parties to the four-party alliance that her BNP heads, reports bdnews24.com.
She declared the name of the new alliance at a press conference at Institution of Diploma Engineers at 4.00pm on Wednesday, about 13 years into the four-party alliance formation.
The new parties include Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Kalyan Party, Jatiya Ganatantrik Party (Jagpa), National People's Party (NPP), Bangladesh Labour Party, National Democratic Party (NDP), Bangladesh NAP, Muslim League, Islamic Party, National Awami Party (NAP-Bhasani) and People's League.
The chiefs of the new parties and those of the existing ones were present at the function. The top leaders of the new parties signed the declaration of the '18-Party Alliance'.
At the March 12 rally in Dhaka, Khaleda had announced that the BNP-led four-party alliance would be expanded with the inclusion of the like-minded parties.
Earlier, Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Oikya Jote, Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP), Jamiyate Ulamaye Islam and Khilafat Majlish were members of the BNP-led alliance.
The four-party alliance was formed in 1999 to strengthen movement against the then Awami League-led government.
UNB adds: Khaleda has asked the government to immediately return her party's organizing secretary and ex-MP Elias Ali, alleging that the government agencies and RAB men had picked him up.
The BNP chairperson threatened to build up resistance along with the current movement and finally one-point movement if Elias is not returned safely.
She said many people "witnessed from a distance" that the government agencies and RAB men picked up Elias on Tuesday night.
Khaleda said the government will have to take the responsibility if any situation arises out of the disappearance of Elias.
Strongly condemning the incident, she reminded the government agencies involved in the incident that the present government would not stay in power forever.
"Trial of everybody responsible for such incidents will be held in course of time," Khaleda said adding that if necessary, they will go to international court to seek redress of ongoing crimes like killings, secret killings and abductions.
She declared the name of the new alliance at a press conference at Institution of Diploma Engineers at 4.00pm on Wednesday, about 13 years into the four-party alliance formation.
The new parties include Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Kalyan Party, Jatiya Ganatantrik Party (Jagpa), National People's Party (NPP), Bangladesh Labour Party, National Democratic Party (NDP), Bangladesh NAP, Muslim League, Islamic Party, National Awami Party (NAP-Bhasani) and People's League.
The chiefs of the new parties and those of the existing ones were present at the function. The top leaders of the new parties signed the declaration of the '18-Party Alliance'.
At the March 12 rally in Dhaka, Khaleda had announced that the BNP-led four-party alliance would be expanded with the inclusion of the like-minded parties.
Earlier, Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Oikya Jote, Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP), Jamiyate Ulamaye Islam and Khilafat Majlish were members of the BNP-led alliance.
The four-party alliance was formed in 1999 to strengthen movement against the then Awami League-led government.
UNB adds: Khaleda has asked the government to immediately return her party's organizing secretary and ex-MP Elias Ali, alleging that the government agencies and RAB men had picked him up.
The BNP chairperson threatened to build up resistance along with the current movement and finally one-point movement if Elias is not returned safely.
She said many people "witnessed from a distance" that the government agencies and RAB men picked up Elias on Tuesday night.
Khaleda said the government will have to take the responsibility if any situation arises out of the disappearance of Elias.
Strongly condemning the incident, she reminded the government agencies involved in the incident that the present government would not stay in power forever.
"Trial of everybody responsible for such incidents will be held in course of time," Khaleda said adding that if necessary, they will go to international court to seek redress of ongoing crimes like killings, secret killings and abductions.