Detained BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia yesterday said she would go by whatever decision the four-party alliance should take regarding the local elections scheduled for August 4.
Queried whether BNP would boycott the polls, she said, “Our secretary general has already talked about this and I would comply with decisions of the four-party alliance.”
A day before the Election Commission (EC) announced schedules for polls to four city corporations and nine municipalities, BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain said the four-party alliance would resist the elections.
Speaking to the newsmen after hearing on charge framing in Gatco graft case at a special court, the former prime minister also reiterated her call for holding the parliamentary election before any other polls.
She said, “All major political parties want the national election first. Besides, the present government has no mandate to hold local government polls.”
Earlier, Judge Shahed Noor Uddin of Special Court-3 set June 30 for the next hearing on charge framing in the high-profile graft case against Khaleda and 23 others including her younger son Arafat Rahman Koko.
The BNP chief was produced before the court on the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban premises at 10:32am.
She said the local elections must be held under an elected government. The interim administration should rather concentrate on preparations for the national election as not much time is left.
She observed that corruption has increased during the present regime that took power by promising to curb the menace.
“They have failed in every aspect and should quit without delay,” she added.
She alleged that the government is out to hold a stage-managed election to install its favoured candidates in different positions.
“They have been in power for two long years, but did not do the nation any good. The economy has slumped and law and order situation worsened. People are starving as a famine-like situation prevails,” she said adding that this government has pushed the country 20 years backwards.
Only an elected government can help the nation out of this difficult situation, she continued.
Outlining 'achievements' of the BNP-Jamaat-led alliance government, she said, “People are now forced to spend whatever they had earned during our rule.”
Referring to her detained sons Tarique Rahman and Koko, she said their condition is deteriorating with every passing day and the government is responsible for this. She demanded that the two be sent abroad for treatment immediately.
Turning to price situation, she said, “Prices of essentials have spiralled out of control, causing sufferings to the people. The government-sponsored syndicates are behind the unabated price hike.”
Replying to a query, Khaleda said there is no division in her party. She thanked the grassroots leaders and workers for maintaining unity in the face of all odds.
Asked if her party would expel those who would participate in the forthcoming polls, she said decisions on the matter would be taken later.
COURT PROCEEDINGS
The defence yesterday prayed for a stay on the case proceedings, citing a petition waiting to be disposed of at higher court.
On June 15, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC) issued an order adjourning hearing on the Anti-Corruption Commission's (ACC) petition against an earlier High Court ruling that had granted bail to Khaleda and Koko and stayed the proceedings.
The prosecution argued that the apex court did not give any specific order to halt the proceedings and so there is no bar to continuing.
Judge rejected the defence plea and set June 30 as the next hearing date.
Besides Khaleda, 16 accused including Koko, former LGRD minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, former health minister Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, former agriculture minister MK Anwar, former land minister M Shamsul Islam, Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer and former industries minister Motiur Rahman Nizami and former state minister for energy AKM Mosharraf Hossain were produced before the court yesterday.
The ACC filed the case with Tejgaon Police Station on September 2 last year for graft in awarding Gatco the contract for container handling at depots in Dhaka and Chittagong.
KOKO IN COURT
Koko was brought to the court in an ambulance from Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University. He entered the courtroom in a wheelchair at 10:37am and left after three minutes. He was accompanied by a physician with an oxygen cylinder on standby. He trembled all along his brief stay.
DELWAR'S BRIEFING
Khandaker Delwar Hossain, also a counsel for Khaleda, said the government has lost its neutrality by showing a discriminatory attitude towards Tarique and Koko.
He warned that the government would be held responsible if anything bad happens to them.