Barisal: BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia urged components of the Awami League led grand alliance to desert the ‘Bishwa Chor’ government to avoid shouldering responsibility of the extremely corrupt government while addressing a mammoth public meeting in Barisal city on Monday afternoon.

During her 35 minute long address Khaleda asked the alliance components, “Desert this corrupt government, otherwise you will be held responsible for their misdeeds and massive corruption.”

“Give BNP a chance to rule the country and see what we can do. If voted to power BNP will change the face of the whole country and fate of its people with massive development activities. If failed I am ready to face any consequence and punishment for the failure,” Khaleda said urging the Barisal people to vote for her party in the next elections.

BNP will construct two bridges over the mighty Padma River if voted to power in the next general election, said leader of the opposition Khaleda Zia while addressing a public meeting in Barisal on Monday.

The BNP chief said, the Awami League-led grand alliance government has failed to start construction of the Padma Bridge as the government is involved in massive corruption and plundering of public property.  

She also said the BNP-led government had earlier constructed two big bridges and utilizing that experience, it would construct two Padma bridges if voted to power.

Khaleda said, “The Awami League came to power by making many pre-polls pledges, but failed to materialize any of those pre-polls pledge. The AL even failed to complete any project for development of the Barisal division and in the last four years of the grand alliance rule Barisal remained the same as no development projects is implemented here.”

She said, “Aim of the AL-led government is to plunder public property and they remain busy massive looting and corruption. The government indulged in corruption in such a massive manner that even foreigners are investigation their massive corruption in all sectors. So, if the thieves remain in power, the country will not experience any sort of development in any field.”

The BNP chairperson said, “The repressive regime has politicized administration, police, Army and even judiciary in such a horrible manner that all those institutions have turned dysfunctional amid political appointments. As a result, the terror elements of BCL, Jubo League, Awami League are not arrested or being tried for their crimes. But innocents Chhtra Dal, Jubo Dal activists are implicated in false cases and harasses for no crime and kept in jail rejecting their bail prayers.”

Branding the AL-led government Bishwa Chor (Great thieve), Khaleda said, “The countrymen joined the chorus saying that AL-led government is Bishwa Chor. Main principle of this government is massive corruption, looting murder and forced disappearance of opposition activists. The high-ups of this government are involved even murders of many and plundered public properties and stashed huge amount of money both at home and abroad.”       

The leader of the opposition and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia started addressing the Bell's Park 18-party alliance rally in Barisal city at about 4:00pm. The meeting was chaired by BNP central committee member and Barisal City BNP president Mujibur Rahman Sarwar.

“This liar government had scrapped the caretaker government in the name of the High Court rule though the verdict said the interim caretaker government could continue for two more terms. But they lied to the people for clinging to power by holding polls under its rule,” Khaleda said demanding restoration of the caretaker government.

Khaleda Zia was scheduled to address the grand rally of the 18-party alliance at the Bell's Park in the city at 2:00 pm Monday, but it was delayed as leaders of the a-party alliance components addressed the rally. The BNP chairperson is set to announce a series of new anti-government agitation programmes from the public meeting. 

Khaleda addressed the rally as the chief guest at the meeting. Among others, LDP chairman Col (retd) Oli Ahmed, BJP chairman Andalib Rahman Partha, Khelafat Mojlish Amir Moulana Mohammad Ishak and Jamaat secretary general Prof Mujibur Rahman also addressed the rally.

Among BNP leaders, Dr Khondker Mosharraf Hossain, Brig Gen (retd) Hannan Shah, Mirza Abbas, Sadek Hossain Khoka and Dr Abdul Moin Khan also addressed the rally.   

On Sunday night Khaleda Zia reached Barisal city and stayed the night at the Barisal Circuit House.

It is her second visit to the southern city as the opposition leader after the ninth parliamentary election on December 29, 2008.

Earlier she addressed a grand rally at the same venue on May 12, 2010.

Seven hundred gates have been erected and thousands of billboards, hoardings, and banners put up on the roadsides to greet Khaleda Zia in the Barisal divisional city.

Barisal City Corporation Mayor Showkat Hossain Hiron, also Barisal city Awami League convener, assured full cooperation for making the opposition's programme a success.

He, however, alerted party men against possible sabotage by the anti-liberation forces like Jamaat-Shibir.

Local leaders of the 18-party alliance in the division have intensified their party activities to make the programmes of the BNP chairperson a success.

Meetings and processions are being held in every wards, unions, upazilas as part of preparation to welcome the opposition leader to the city bringing more supporters to the rally ground in the afternoon.

Local leaders expect participation of a huge number of people at the grand rally.

Khaleda Zia will leave for Dhaka after the rally in the evening.

Ends/AMA/19/11/2012