The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

BNP Secretary General Khondoker Delwar Hossain yesterday called upon the party leaders and activists to get prepared for a movement to secure the release of detained party Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and senior Joint Secretary Tarique Rahman.

He made the call while addressing a views-exchange meeting with the Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum, the pro-BNP lawyers' group, at the Supreme Court Bar Association auditorium in the city.

"We have no time to waste. Everyone will have to prepare to launch a movement for the release of Begum Zia. We will announce programmes in phases," he said.

The BNP leader said the BNP did not take part in the local government elections, since it would have given acceptance to the government's unconstitutional activities.

He warned that the BNP would not take part in any election without the party's detained Chairperson Khaleda Zia

"We want to sit for dialogue with the government under the leadership of Begum Khaleda Zia and want to participate in a free and fair election after the withdrawal of state of emergency," he said.

Khondoker Delwar alleged that the caretaker government wanted to hold the general election under the state of emergency to see the victory of "politicians of entente" to get the seal of legitimacy

Dhaka Unit of Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum organised the function with senior vice-president of the forum Advocate Fazlur Rahman Khan in the chair.

Among others, the meeting was also addressed, by Forum President and BNP Vice-president TH Khan, Justice Habibul Islam Bhuiyan, Faisal Mahmud Foizee, Adv Mojibur Rahman, Adv Sanaullah Mia, Adv Masud Ahmed Talukdar, Barrister Mahbub Uddin Khokon, Adv Arfan Uddin Khan, Adv Joynul Abedin and Juba Dal secretary general Adv Moazzem Hossain Alal.

Khondoker Delwar Hossain criticised the government for its 'double-standard on the release of the former prime minister and said there are two sets of laws in force in the country.

"Somebody is being released and sent abroad. But our leader has been confined to jail," he said adding; it does not go with the characteristics of a neutral government rather they are working following the dictates of a special quarter.

Without mentioning the name of former BNP secretary general Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, He said the decision not to take part in the local government polls was a right decision.

"The person who is saying that it was not the right thing to do has no right to pass such a comment. He is nobody in the BNP," he observed.

He also alleged that those who were involved in the creation of the January 11 incidents by creating instability want to hold polls keeping BNP out of the race.

Delwar Hossain said the government put BNP in an adversarial position, by 'producing a fake BNP in its factory'.

Terming the BNP a pro-election party he said a fair election must be held with the participation of all parties and leaders including Begum Khaleda Zia. "Otherwise the country would drift into further instability," he added.

The forum announced that the lawyers would form a human chain on August 21 for the release of Khaleda.