DHAKA: BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said dialogue or election neither will be fruitful keeping Khaleda Zia in jail. 

Extending her (Khaleda) jail term does not reflect any activities of democracy. We are unfortunate that our judiciary is not independence, he added. 

The senior BNP leader made the remarks at a human chain in front of national press club on Wednesday (October 31) protesting the expansion of its chairperson Khaleda Zia’s five years jail term to 10 years in Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.

Fakhrul told the government, “You are holding the election, campaigning with helicopters but our leader is in jail. We are running away, our leaders and activists can not stand anywhere. A free and fair election can not be held under such condition.”

Urging the ruling party to get back in the democratic system, Fakhrul also emphasized on the seven-point demand that includes resignation of the current government, parliament dissolution, reforming the Election Commission and scrapping EVM use from the upcoming general election. 

BNP standing committee member Moudud Ahmed said many of the ruling party leaders did not want to hold dialogue but now they realized that the people want it. Thus the dialogue and our movement will continue.

Senior BNP leaders and hundreds of activists were present at the human chain. 

BDST: 2114 HRS, OCT 31, 2018
AP/SMS