The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Brig Gen (Retd) Hannan Shah, member of BNP Advisory Council, yesterday demanded release of party Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and her two sons-Tarique Rahman and Arafat Rahman Koko-before the Independence Day on March 26, showing respect to Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman.

"Since Ziaur Rahman is the proclaimer of the independence and the government has failed to prove any allegation brought against Begum Zia and her sons in the last one year they should be released before March 26," he said while talking to reporters at his New DOHS residence.

Hannan Shah, the outspoken BNP leader hoped that they will get Begum Zia and her two sons released through legal means.

Criticising the government for its failure to control the soaring prices of the essentials, he said the Government talked about many things but failed in many fields, including tackling the price hike.

Hannan Shah, earlier, held a meeting with some BNP

leaders, including Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Selima Rahman and Mohammad Shahjahan.

They discussed the preparation of the BNP to make Independence Day programmes a success.

Hannan Shah said they would map out programmes to run BNP after holding meeting of the party's standing committee in the future.

He said BNP would run at the instruction of Khaleda Zia and those who go beyond her instructions would make mistakes.

Replying to a question, he expressed his optimism about the unity process of BNP saying that it is a continuous process and it would take time.

Asked if BNP secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain has been

consulted about the Independence Day programmes, he replied in the negative.

He said since Delwar is now in New York he could not be contacted over phone.