Khaleda asks expats to protest 'injustice'
Monday, 23 July 2007
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia Sunday asked the expatriate Bangladeshis to wage a movement against "injustice" in the country, reports bdnews24.com.
The former prime minister made the call in a teleconference from home with the leaders of BNP's Australia unit. "As there is no chance to protest injustice here, you (expatriates) have to protest it," Khaleda said.
She expressed her fears that she might be arrested anytime soon. "I didn't do any wrong, but the government harassed us instead of the people with corruption links."
Khaleda took a dig at party secretary general Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, saying he has been busy conspiring to break up the party.
"Their target is to split the BNP," she said. "Mannan Bhuiyan doesn't believe in principles of BNP. He doesn't believe in God and his messenger, as he was involved in left-leaning parties," she said. The BNP chief also said, Bhuiyan could not cope with BNP's principles, based on Islamic values.
Asked if Bhuiyan will be expelled from the party, Khaleda said, "Let me see." She alleged that the so-called reformists were just carrying out the "commands of others" to hide their misdeeds.
The BNP chief took questions from the expatriates on the activities of the party, reforms and politics in the country. Khaleda, who is now virtually confined to her house, exchanged views with the leaders of BNP's USA, Japan, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia units in the last one and a half months.
She also slammed the interim government. "You see what's going on in the country. The government banned politics, but some people are doing politics in earnest in the name of reform. She accused the government of having a double standard.
Khaleda said, "We want reform too. But the process will begin when indoor politics resumes. Political reforms require dialogue among political parties and council meetings to take opinion of the grassroots workers."
Pointing finger at Bhuiyan, Khaleda said, those who have no workers, and people in their wing are busy trying to gain some personal dividends.
"If there is an open council, nobody will attend it, and that's why they are trying to hold a nominal council in times of emergency." They are intimidating people to join their faction, she said.
Recalling the crises in the BNP after the assassination of former president Ziaur Rahman, Khaleda said, many had tried to take away the mantle but failed. "As there was no way out, I had to take the reins of the BNP."
"I worked hard for the party. BNP leaders and workers did so too to make it a big and popular political party. The BNP is now Bangladesh's biggest political party, but the conspirators want to weaken it," she said.
On her call to release Awami League Chief Sheikh Hasina, Khaleda said, "What I did was right. I now demand release of my political coworkers."
Asked about the new party of Ferdous Ahmed Quarishi, she said, "Anybody can launch a party. I don't see anything wrong with it, as we do believe in democracy. But I don't endorse the politics of dividing a party."
The former prime minister made the call in a teleconference from home with the leaders of BNP's Australia unit. "As there is no chance to protest injustice here, you (expatriates) have to protest it," Khaleda said.
She expressed her fears that she might be arrested anytime soon. "I didn't do any wrong, but the government harassed us instead of the people with corruption links."
Khaleda took a dig at party secretary general Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, saying he has been busy conspiring to break up the party.
"Their target is to split the BNP," she said. "Mannan Bhuiyan doesn't believe in principles of BNP. He doesn't believe in God and his messenger, as he was involved in left-leaning parties," she said. The BNP chief also said, Bhuiyan could not cope with BNP's principles, based on Islamic values.
Asked if Bhuiyan will be expelled from the party, Khaleda said, "Let me see." She alleged that the so-called reformists were just carrying out the "commands of others" to hide their misdeeds.
The BNP chief took questions from the expatriates on the activities of the party, reforms and politics in the country. Khaleda, who is now virtually confined to her house, exchanged views with the leaders of BNP's USA, Japan, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia units in the last one and a half months.
She also slammed the interim government. "You see what's going on in the country. The government banned politics, but some people are doing politics in earnest in the name of reform. She accused the government of having a double standard.
Khaleda said, "We want reform too. But the process will begin when indoor politics resumes. Political reforms require dialogue among political parties and council meetings to take opinion of the grassroots workers."
Pointing finger at Bhuiyan, Khaleda said, those who have no workers, and people in their wing are busy trying to gain some personal dividends.
"If there is an open council, nobody will attend it, and that's why they are trying to hold a nominal council in times of emergency." They are intimidating people to join their faction, she said.
Recalling the crises in the BNP after the assassination of former president Ziaur Rahman, Khaleda said, many had tried to take away the mantle but failed. "As there was no way out, I had to take the reins of the BNP."
"I worked hard for the party. BNP leaders and workers did so too to make it a big and popular political party. The BNP is now Bangladesh's biggest political party, but the conspirators want to weaken it," she said.
On her call to release Awami League Chief Sheikh Hasina, Khaleda said, "What I did was right. I now demand release of my political coworkers."
Asked about the new party of Ferdous Ahmed Quarishi, she said, "Anybody can launch a party. I don't see anything wrong with it, as we do believe in democracy. But I don't endorse the politics of dividing a party."