Free BNP leaders, create field for polls under neutral govt

BNP's standing committee member Gayeswar Chandra Roy addressing a human chain of the Peshajibi Parishad in Dhaka on Wednesday.

BNP's standing committee member Babu Gayeswar Chandra Roy on Wednesday urged the government to create the atmosphere of free and fair election under a neutral administration by offering resignation as early as possible.

Addressing a human chain organised by the Bangladesh Peshajibi Parishad in front of the National Press Club to press the deamnd for release of arrested BNP leaders including secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Mirza Abbas, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Abdus Salam, Kahirul KLabir Khokan and Shahiduddin Chowdhury Annie.

Gayeswar Roy said the December 10 mass rally in Dhaka was not a threat to the government's power, but verious agencies it it to be so and left no effort unturned to foil it. He said that the BNP was accommodative and held the rally at ground although their original plan was to hold the programme at Naya Paltan.

He said that the current movement has been backed by participation of masses of the people and cannot be foiled. Instead it is better to accept the demands for resrtoering the people's right to vote. The people were now in tremendous hardships due to excessive price hike of essentials. But the economy and the banks continue to be looted while import activitiews has shrunt considerably due to inadqquacy of hard currencies with the banks.

Presided over by Dr. Zahid Hossain, convener of the Parishad, the programme, conducted by Kader Gani Chowdhury, member-secretary of the Peshajibi Parishad, was addressed by Prof. Harunar Rashid, President, Bangladesh Chikitsak Parishad, Prof. Selim Bhuiyan, president Shikkhak Karmachari Oikya Parishad, Engr Reazul Islam Rizu of the Association of Engineers, Bangladesh and Mostafa Kamal Majumder, editor, GreenWatch Dhaka among others.

Gayeswar Roy said the people of Bangladesh and BNP leaders were very accommodative. BNP has shifted its mass progession programme in Dhaka City from Dec 24 to 30 to accommodate a request from the Awami League. 

The said that the BNP leaders were being held in jail in factitious cases. They did not create any law and order problem.Instead the BNP centrasl office was attacked in a most nasty was on December 7 to onstruct the mass rally held at Golapbagh ground four days later. - Greenwatch Dhaka report