Khaleda demands polls in Oct, emergency lifting within June
Monday, 2 June 2008
Former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia Sunday demanded general election in October and lifting of the state of emergency within the current month to create congenial atmosphere for the polls, reports UNB.
In her first appearance in a special court after nine months of her arrest in connection with the Niko scam case, she also called for holding credible elections wherein all the parties and political leaders could participate.
Khaleda called as malafide the intention of holding local bodies' election before the parliamentary polls.
"Give up the plus minus accounting. Think over how to hold free and fair elections," she said, adding "it's not 1/11, rather 11/1 to split up political parties."
Khaleda said, "The situation in the country is very bad. People are starving, committing suicide. Students, keeping aside their studies, are standing in queues to get rice. People are scrambling for water, gas and electricity. But the government has no attention towards all these."
Khaleda, who ruled the country twice as the Prime Minister since 1991, alleged that the caretaker government in its 16 months' rule has pushed back the country by 30 years.
In her hard-hitting 18-minute speech, the BNP chairperson said the country cannot be run by 'dalal, falal' (sycophants). "The government is trying to cling to power backed by different forces."
She said, "This government ruins Bangladesh under a conspiracy, making the country non-functional. And for this, the government will have to stand in the dock and give answer to the people."
Khaleda said trade and business have slowed down, while the country is losing labour markets abroad. Instead of resolving the problems, the government has cracked down on political leaders and workers.
She called for unity among all the political parties including BNP to save the people from the helpless situation.
Khaleda Zia, arrested on September 3 last year in connection with GATCO graft case, termed the cases filed against her as false, baseless, concocted and malicious to destroy the nationalist forces.
"Not only against me, cases were filed against my family members for harassment
In her first appearance in a special court after nine months of her arrest in connection with the Niko scam case, she also called for holding credible elections wherein all the parties and political leaders could participate.
Khaleda called as malafide the intention of holding local bodies' election before the parliamentary polls.
"Give up the plus minus accounting. Think over how to hold free and fair elections," she said, adding "it's not 1/11, rather 11/1 to split up political parties."
Khaleda said, "The situation in the country is very bad. People are starving, committing suicide. Students, keeping aside their studies, are standing in queues to get rice. People are scrambling for water, gas and electricity. But the government has no attention towards all these."
Khaleda, who ruled the country twice as the Prime Minister since 1991, alleged that the caretaker government in its 16 months' rule has pushed back the country by 30 years.
In her hard-hitting 18-minute speech, the BNP chairperson said the country cannot be run by 'dalal, falal' (sycophants). "The government is trying to cling to power backed by different forces."
She said, "This government ruins Bangladesh under a conspiracy, making the country non-functional. And for this, the government will have to stand in the dock and give answer to the people."
Khaleda said trade and business have slowed down, while the country is losing labour markets abroad. Instead of resolving the problems, the government has cracked down on political leaders and workers.
She called for unity among all the political parties including BNP to save the people from the helpless situation.
Khaleda Zia, arrested on September 3 last year in connection with GATCO graft case, termed the cases filed against her as false, baseless, concocted and malicious to destroy the nationalist forces.
"Not only against me, cases were filed against my family members for harassment