Urges people to make 'right' choice on Dec 29
Saturday, 13 December 2008
SYLHET, Dec 12: Chairperson of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Khaleda Zia has promised to bring down the prices of essentials and create new jobs, if re-elected for a third term, in her first election rally at Lalabazar in Sylhet on Friday, report agencies.
Khaleda launched formally the electoral campaign of her party after offering prayers at the shrines of Shah Jalal, Shah Paran and Shah Borhan Uddin in the city earlier in the day.
The former prime minister pledged to make girls' education up to degree level free and to introduce health insurance.
She termed the events of Jan. 11, 2007 a conspiracy against her party and family.
"My sons were tortured. They have not recovered yet," she complained.
A visibly emotional Khaleda sought people's blessings for quick recovery of her sons.
She called upon the people to vote for her party to help establish a government, based on 'nationalist' and 'Islamic' values.
She handed her party's election symbol sheaf of paddy to four-party candidate for Sylhet-3 Shafi Ahmed Chowdhury and asked people to vote for him.
Her entourage included former minister Khandker Mosharraf Hossain, Amanullah Aman, ASM Hannan Shah and Sarwari Rahman.
Khaleda who left Dhaka by road at 8-30am reached Sylhet at 12-15pm. Attired in white chiffon saree, she went to the shrine of Hazrat Shahjalal ® at 2-08pm and stayed there for about 15-minute. She offered prayer and 'fateha' there.
Later, she went to the shrine of Hazrat Shah Paran ®, about 8 kms from the city and offered 'fateha' there at 2:38pm. She also offered fateha at the mazar of Hazrat Gazi Borhanuddin ® at 3:05pm.
Witnesses said thousands of BNP supporters greeted Khaleda as she arrived in Sylhet.
A large number of her supporters were also seen at both the shrines, chanting slogans for BNP. In the last parliament elections, she also began her electioneering after offering fateha at the two holy shrines.
On her way from Dhaka to Sylhet, BNP candidates and supporters greeted her at different points holding welcome banners and party's election symbol "sheaf of paddy".
After visiting the shrines Khaleda addressed her first election rally at Lalabazar in Sylhet town.
Addressing election rallies at Lalabazar and Doyameer in Osmaninagar of Sylhet and Auskandi in Nabiganj thana of Habiganj district, the BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia urged the people, particularly the nationalist and Islamic forces, to vote for her party and alliance in December 29 parliament elections to protect nation's sovereignty and ensure development and economic progress.
"This is going to be an important election for the nation. You'll have to give a correct decision in this election as the future of the country depends on it," she said.
"The country is passing through a very difficult time. Conspiracy is on to make the nation a vassal state. If you remain united all conspiracies will be foiled as in the past," she said.
The former Prime Minister promised that if voted to power, her government will ensure food security, bring down prices of essentials, generate employment, provide free education for girls up to degree level and expand information technology (IT) education.
"In the two years under the caretaker government no development work was done, rather the economy is in a shambles with the people pushed into starvation," she said, adding that the country has been taken back 20 years during the last two years.
Khaleda said if the nationalist and Islamic forces are elected to power, political and economic stability will be established.
Terming the cancellation of January 22, 2007 election as a conspiracy, she alleged that a plot was cooked up to send her abroad by force and turn Bangladesh into "a vassal state." "Since I didn't agree to leave the country, I was put in jail, my family was repressed and my party leaders and workers were persecuted," she said.
Khaleda launched formally the electoral campaign of her party after offering prayers at the shrines of Shah Jalal, Shah Paran and Shah Borhan Uddin in the city earlier in the day.
The former prime minister pledged to make girls' education up to degree level free and to introduce health insurance.
She termed the events of Jan. 11, 2007 a conspiracy against her party and family.
"My sons were tortured. They have not recovered yet," she complained.
A visibly emotional Khaleda sought people's blessings for quick recovery of her sons.
She called upon the people to vote for her party to help establish a government, based on 'nationalist' and 'Islamic' values.
She handed her party's election symbol sheaf of paddy to four-party candidate for Sylhet-3 Shafi Ahmed Chowdhury and asked people to vote for him.
Her entourage included former minister Khandker Mosharraf Hossain, Amanullah Aman, ASM Hannan Shah and Sarwari Rahman.
Khaleda who left Dhaka by road at 8-30am reached Sylhet at 12-15pm. Attired in white chiffon saree, she went to the shrine of Hazrat Shahjalal ® at 2-08pm and stayed there for about 15-minute. She offered prayer and 'fateha' there.
Later, she went to the shrine of Hazrat Shah Paran ®, about 8 kms from the city and offered 'fateha' there at 2:38pm. She also offered fateha at the mazar of Hazrat Gazi Borhanuddin ® at 3:05pm.
Witnesses said thousands of BNP supporters greeted Khaleda as she arrived in Sylhet.
A large number of her supporters were also seen at both the shrines, chanting slogans for BNP. In the last parliament elections, she also began her electioneering after offering fateha at the two holy shrines.
On her way from Dhaka to Sylhet, BNP candidates and supporters greeted her at different points holding welcome banners and party's election symbol "sheaf of paddy".
After visiting the shrines Khaleda addressed her first election rally at Lalabazar in Sylhet town.
Addressing election rallies at Lalabazar and Doyameer in Osmaninagar of Sylhet and Auskandi in Nabiganj thana of Habiganj district, the BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia urged the people, particularly the nationalist and Islamic forces, to vote for her party and alliance in December 29 parliament elections to protect nation's sovereignty and ensure development and economic progress.
"This is going to be an important election for the nation. You'll have to give a correct decision in this election as the future of the country depends on it," she said.
"The country is passing through a very difficult time. Conspiracy is on to make the nation a vassal state. If you remain united all conspiracies will be foiled as in the past," she said.
The former Prime Minister promised that if voted to power, her government will ensure food security, bring down prices of essentials, generate employment, provide free education for girls up to degree level and expand information technology (IT) education.
"In the two years under the caretaker government no development work was done, rather the economy is in a shambles with the people pushed into starvation," she said, adding that the country has been taken back 20 years during the last two years.
Khaleda said if the nationalist and Islamic forces are elected to power, political and economic stability will be established.
Terming the cancellation of January 22, 2007 election as a conspiracy, she alleged that a plot was cooked up to send her abroad by force and turn Bangladesh into "a vassal state." "Since I didn't agree to leave the country, I was put in jail, my family was repressed and my party leaders and workers were persecuted," she said.