The BNP has alleged that a conspiracy is being hatched to convict party chairperson Khaleda Zia. It has urged people, party leaders and activists to raise their voices against the conspiracy. “The government is hatching a conspiracy to convict Khaleda Zia. Let’s resist the move,” said BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. The BNP leader was addressing a huge gathering before bringing out a procession yesterday.  Fakhrul alleged that the AL-led government has trampled people’s rights by establishing the one-party BAKSAL regime. He called upon the people to get united to realise the demand of a neutral government to hold the next national polls in a free and fair manner. The BNP brought out the procession in front of its Naya Paltan central office to mark Victory Day. Thousands of leaders, activists and supporters took part in the procession by carrying colourful banners, festoons, placards, party symbol, and balloons. They started around 3pm and went past Kakrail crossing, Shantinagar, before reaching the Malibagh intersection.

The supporters went past different city streets dancing to drum beats, singing patriotic songs and chanting slogans in the names of the late Ziaur Rahman, Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman. Earlier, the supporters, wearing colourful clothes and red-and-green headbands, had started assembling in front of the party’s central office from 1pm. Wearing combat dresses like freedom fighters, they staged mock fighting with the Pakistani occupation forces with tanks, guns and other weapons.

The gathering created traffic snarls in the surrounding areas and put commuters in severe inconvenience for hours. Fakhrul said that even though 46 years have passed after the glorious victory, the people are still sacrificing their lives and becoming victims of enforced disappearance and harassment

He also said Khaleda Zia has been struggling to restore democracy for the past nine years and is now being implicated in “false cases”. “Cases are being filed against party senior vice-chairman Tarique Rahman. Party leaders and activists are randomly being put in prison. We’ve to raise our voices against the misdeeds of the government,” he added.

Senior party leaders, including Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain and Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, led the procession. The party’s front organisations, including Mohila Dal and Muktijoddah Dal, took part in the procession.