BNP must lead efforts towards strong united front to oust govt: Mosharraf

BNP senior leader Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said on Monday said that their party must take the responsibility to forge a ‘steely unity’ to oust the government.

Speaking at a rally, held at BNP’s Nayapaltan Central office, the BNP leaders also urged all to take preparation for it, reports UNB.

“BNP and its associate bodies should take the responsibility to unite all the people of the country and forge a ‘steel-like strong mass unity’ and to enforce a movement to oust the government in the days to come,” he said.

He also expressed hope to remove the government by holding movements peacefully, democratically and in a systematic way in future until the removal of the government.

Referring to the recent power price hike, the BNP leader said “The government recently hiked the retail price of electricity by 5 percent without following any rules and regulations and it is clear that they will increase the price of electricity in future.”

“People across the country have been suffering a lot to pay the increased power bill. During the tenure of the Khaleda Zia-led government in 2006, per unit electricity cost was Tk 2.60 paisa but now it is over Tk 11. They (govt) have established rental or quick rental power in the country and passed an indemnity order from the parliament through which they can loot and they have been involved in looting by raising the power price for the past 14 years,” he said.

He also alleged that many quick rental power stations do not generate any electricity but huge amount of money has been smuggled in abroad from the power sector through capacity charges.

Earlier in the day, as part of scheduled programme, BNP held a rally, procession at Nayapaltan and announced a fresh countrywide programme for January 25 to press home their 10-point demand, including polls under a caretaker government.

BNP standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain came up with the announcement from their party’s rally at Nayapaltan in the capital.

The programme will be held in all metropolitan cities and district headquarters, he said.

A procession was brought out from Kakrail after the rally and it ended at Nayapaltan after parading Nightingale Intersection and Fakirapool intersection in the afternoon.

It is the third programme of the simultaneous movement after the mass procession by the 33 opposition parties on December 30.

On January 11, BNP and its associate bodies observed a mass-sit in programme at Nayapaltan.

Additional police forces have been deployed at Nayapaltan to maintain the law and order situation.