Khaleda pushes for polls, places 7-point demand

BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia Wednesday placed a seven-point demand, including the arrangement of a fresh inclusive national election under a neutral administration. She also announced that the BNP-led 20-party alliance will observe the January 5 as ‘Democracy Killing Day’ through holding countrywide rallies and demonstration with black flags.
As part of the programme, the alliance will hold a rally in the capital on January 5, the BNP chief said hoping that the government will not hinder their programmes in any way.
The former prime minister came up with the announcement at an emergency press conference at her Gulshan office around 6:30pm amid the growing political tension ahead of January 5, the first anniversary of the 10th parliamentary elections that largely went uncontested.
The six other demands are reconstitution of the Election Commission with honest, neutral and competent persons, dissolution of parliament and the cabinet immediately after announcing an election schedule, deployment of armed forces during the elections, arrest of criminals and recovery of illegal arms, and withdrawal of biased officials from law enforcement agencies and the administration during the polls and withdrawal of politically-motivated cases filed against the opposition leaders and activists,
Khaleda Zia says the Awami League is not honouring its promise of dialogue with her party after forming government following the Jan 5 elections to meet 'constitutional requirements'. "They said they had to go ahead with the voter-less election of January 5 to meet constitutional requirement. And they promised to hold dialogue very soon, according to news agencies.