More hartals if 16th amendment not cancelled: Khaleda

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia on Tuesday threatened to launch tougher movement if an initiative is not taken immediately to cancel the 16th Amendment made to the Constitution that empowered the parliament to remove Supreme Court judges. Terming the government illegal Khaleda said it has no right to change the charter. All the amendments made by the Awami League regime will be changed once the government is ousted from the state power and an elected one takes over the administration, she said while addressing a mammoth public rally in Brahmanbaria town. ‘The incumbent government is illegal. Did you cast vote in the last election?’ Khaleda said putting question. Threatening to call more harals and other strict programmes to force the government step down handing over the power to a non-party and neutral administration for holding a national election, Khaleda said ‘How an unelected government stays in parliament, how they talk tall and pass law? She also alleged: ‘This government is itself violating the constitution and this lead to deteriorate law and order. Countrymen are witnessing murder, disappearances daily.’ She claimed that the AL government is using Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) personnel for torturing and oppression of the opponent party men. The BNP chief alleged that RAB men killed 310 leaders and activists of her party and made 36 others the victims of enforced-disappearances in the last five-and-half-year, according to private TV channels.