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Wednesday, 30 November 2011

No army deployment, no polls: Khaleda

 Leader of the Opposition and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia on Sunday laid down two preconditions for holding elections - keep electronic voting machines out and deploy the army - if the government seriously wants the outcome to be acceptable to the masses.

?Awami League cannot rig the polls if the army is around. Its other weapon for manipulating poll results is the EVM. That?s why it wants to keep the army out and press EVMs into service,? Khaleda said while addressing a roadside meeting at Jessore Eidgah Maidan.


She branded the EVM as a ?machine for vote rigging.?


Khaleda Zia also alleged that the government has left no stones unturned to turn Bangladesh into a province of India.


The former prime minister further alleged that the Awami League-led grand alliance government has failed to sign the Teesta water sharing deal with India due to lack of its bargaining capacity.


She said her party?s countrywide road-march campaign has already turned into a mass upsurge as the government has been identified as incompetent and subservient (to India).


Terming the cabinet worthless, Khaleda Zia said ministers are incapable and know nothing but how to extort money. ?There is no control within the government as well as in the cabinet,? she said.


Dwelling on the ?miserable? conditions of power and energy sectors, Khaleda said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina could not ensure adequate supply of electricity but she could cut power from the people who do not like her.


?All the mills and factories of Bangladesh are being destroyed in a planned way so that in course of time those could be taken over by India. The government has made all arrangements to make Bangladesh a country subservient to India,? she said.


The opposition leader warned if the situation continues, the country?s independence and sovereignty will be at stake.


?We have to take decision whether we will be subjected to torture or launch movement against this repressive regime,? she added.


Khaleda said an ?oust-government campaign? will be launched after Victory Day and that has to be made successful with spontaneous participation of people from all walks of life.


Organised by the BNP-led four party alliance, the meeting was presided over by the party?s acting Jessore district unit president Shamsul Huda.


After the wayside meting in Jessore, Khaleda Zia went to the mazar of Khan Jahan Ali in Bagerhat, where she offered fateha.


The BNP chairperson said establishment of Rampal Power Plant will adversely affect the ecology and natural beauty of the Sundarbans, world?s largest mangrove forest.


?So a movement should be launched to stop installation of power plant in the Sundarbans. To save the Sundarbans, I am with you and the country?s environmentalists are also with you,? she said while addressing a public meeting held at Khulna Circuit House Maidan.


Khaleda Zia also demanded construction of an embankment in the Cyclone Aila-affected areas and rehabilitation of the affected people there. She asked the government to immediately address the water-logging problem in Satkhira district and end inhuman sufferings of people there.


The former prime minister said that she had written thrice to the Indian government to stop construction work of the Tipaimukh Dam, which will cause a catastrophic impact on the ecology of Bangladesh.


Khaleda said she asked the Indian government to conduct a joint technical survey first before going for implementation of the project.


?Raise your (the government?s) voice against the construction of Tipaimukh Dam. If you do not have the courage, please step down; the people will protest and do whatever necessary to halt it,? she said.


Citing the government?s corruption spree centring construction work of proposed Padma Multipurpose Bridge, Khaleda Zia said two bridges at separate points over the Padma River would be constructed if her party is voted to power.


One of the bridges will connect Daulatdia with Paturia ghat and the other one will be built at Mawa point of the river, she said.


Khaleda alleged the government has given its party leaders the licence to set up rental power plants to commit corruption in a free-style.


The BNP chairperson pledged that if her party is voted to power, it will revitalise the industrial units in Khulna region.


The meeting was presided over by Khulna BNP unit president Nazrul Islam Manju. Senior BNP leaders and also leaders of its alliance partners and like-minded parties spoke at the rally.


After the meeting, Khaleda Zia took rest at Circuit House before leaving Khulna for Dhaka.


Source: daily-sun.com


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