BNP: No question of Khaleda Zia joining Dec 10 rally

Though the country’s political landscape has become overheated with some opposition leaders’ fiery comments about the participation of Khaleda Zia in her party’s much-talked-about rally in the capital on December 10, BNP senior leaders say they never had any plan to take her to their programme.

They also said their December-10 rally in the capital is similar to 9 other divisional programmes of BNP where party Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir will address as chief guest and announce the party’s next course of action.

However, the party leaders are determined to hold the rally at Nayapaltan in front of their party headquarters instead of Suhrawardy Udyan.

The BNP senior leaders said they want to hold the rally peacefully avoiding any type of chaos as they will initiate the second phase of the movement to realise their demand for a polls-time neutral government and the resignation of the government after the December-10 programme.

“We don’t have any different plan about our Dhaka rally. It’s like other divisional rallies. I don’t know why the ruling party leaders and some media are talking about our chairperson’s participation in the rally. Our standing committee never discussed this issue and we never had any such plan,” said BNP standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain.

Talking to UNB, he said they are moving ahead with a plan for a peaceful gathering to reach their desired goal.

He said they will not give anyone any scope to divert their movement to a a different direction by creating any trouble. “We’ll neither fall into Awami League’s trap nor take any imprudent move.”

Political mercury has started rising since Dhaka North City unit BNP convener Aman Ullah Aman at a programme on October 8 last announced that the country will run as per the directives of Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman after December 10.

Two days later, BNP chairperson’s adviser Zainul Abedin Farroque said Khaleda will join the December -10 rally and later some other party low-tier leaders echoed Aman and Farroque.

BNP senior leaders, however, said the remarks of Aman and Farroque about Khaleda are their personal opinions.

Amid such speculation, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan on Wednesday warned that the court will take steps if Khaleda, who has been temporarily freed from jail on conditions, attends the party's December 10 rally in Dhaka.

Law Minister Anisul Huq on Thursday at a programme in Narayanganj said Khaleda was freed suspending her sentence on conditions as her family submitted an application saying she was too sick to move.

“If Khaleda Zia now joins BNP’s rally on December 10, then it’ll be proved that what was written in her family’s application was false,” he said.

In the wake of Coronavirus outbreak, the government freed Khaleda from jail for six months through an executive order suspending her sentence on 25 March 2020.

The government extended her conditional release from jail in the two corruption cases several times. The 76-year-old BNP chief has been staying at her Gulshan residence since her release from jail.

BNP on September 27 announced a series of public rallies in 10 divisional cities. The party has already held eight divisional rallies while the 9th rally will be held In Rajshahi on Saturday. The BNP will conclude the divisional rallies through a huge mass gathering in Dhaka city on December 10.

Though the party sought permission to hold the rally at Nayapaltan, the government has permitted it to hold the programme at Suhrawardy Udyan on 26 conditions.

Contacted, BNP’s Dhaka south city unit BNP convener Abdus Salam said Khaleda’s participation in the Dhaka rally is nothing but speculation by media and the ruling party leaders. “No one of our responsible leaders talked about it.”

He said they are taking allout preparations to make the rally a success with the participation of lakhs of people. “It’ll surely be a peaceful programme. We’ll remain alert about all types of plots and provocations to foil our programme.”

BNP Publicity Secretary Shahiduddin Chowdhury Annie said the ruling party leaders are making comments involving Khaleda with the rally as part of their political motive to mislead people.

“Madam (Khaleda) remains under house arrest and she is very sick. We never said she would take part in our programme. But the government is playing a bad game over the issue”

“We’ll also hold the rally in the capital peacefully and then return homes. We have no other plans.”

During their meeting with Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun on Thursday, the BNP leader said they urged him to cooperate with BNP to hold the rally at Nayapaltan. “We're determined to hold the rally at Nayapaltan. We’ve no other plan about any venue.”