Khaleda renews demand for fresh polls

Launching a counter-attack on the government, BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia on Sunday said it is the current regime that is supplicating foreigners, not her party, and warned of dire consequences if it does not arrange a fresh national election immediately. “The government is saying that we’re supplicating foreigners. It’s not we but they (government) who are begging foreigners after forming an illegal government through a voter-less election. They’re regularly sending their envoys to different countries to have their recognition. We don’t need to beg anyone, but they (govt) are doing that,” she said. Addressing a reception, Khaleda said: “But the foreigners conveyed them that the January 5 election was not fair, acceptable, and people didn’t participate in it. They (foreigners) suggested them holding a fresh election immediately.” Khaleda come up with the counter-remarks apparently reacting to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Friday’s comment that BNP chairperson is now looking for newer excuses to wage a fresh movement and begging foreigners. Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum arranged the function to greet the newly-elected pro-BNP leader of Dhaka Bar Association at the auditorium of the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh. Pro-BNP-Jamaat Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Oikya Parishad panel swept the Dhaka Bar Association elections held on February 26-27 bagging 19 posts, including those of the president and secretary, according to a news agency.