Dhaka, Oct 16 (bdnews24.com)–BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia has announced that she will not share the stage with prime minister Sheikh Hasina in launching a joint call for fight against poverty on Saturday.
Khaleda and her bitter political rival Hasina were scheduled to to make the anti-poverty call at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre on International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.
She hit out at the Awami League-led government for not cooperating with the opposition and said, "Unilaterally cooperating with the government amounts to condone its crime, anarchy, repression and violation of human rights."
At an emergency news conference at her political office in Gulshan on Friday, the opposition chief said: "Observing the events over the last few days, we regret to announce that it will not be possible for us to join tomorrow's programme in the current circumstances."
Replying to questions from the media, she said: "We wanted to attend the programme. But I am ethically pressed to make this statement here today following the events over the past few days."
Khaleda pointed to the deteriorating law and order, high prices of commodities and politicisation of administration.
"The government has failed to protect the country's national unity. They have become a failed government.
"They have taken the country to point where people do not have minimum security."
She said the government has been more tyrannical in its nine months than the military-installed immediate past caretaker government was in the two-year term.
She asked the government to meet her party's four-point charter of demands, pointing out that creating a 'congenial atmosphere' is the pre-requisite for national unity.
"The process for creating national consensus on various issues can begin only after the government creates an congenial environment.
"Otherwise, the call for unity to alleviate poverty will ring hollow."
She quoted the famous lines of poet Sukanta Bhattacharya, "In the land of hunger, the earth is prosaic," and said, "If poverty rate does not reduce in Bangladesh, people may see the moon in the sky but will not see bread or even singed bread on their plates."
She thanked speaker Abdul Hamid for his efforts regarding the programme and said a letter of regrets will be sent to him on Friday.
Speaker Hamid said at a media briefing, flanked by chief whips of the ruling and opposition parties, on Thursday that it will be an unforgettable moment when the two leading ladies of the country will will for efforts to cut poverty.
Opposition chief whip Jainal Abdin Farrouque said at a press conference the same day: "We (government and opposition) are working together outside the parliament to make Oct 17 successful.
"I am hoping the speaker will create an environment suitable for the opposition to return to the parliament."
Farrouque also told a few TV channels that Khaleda would attend the event.
At Friday's news conference, Khaleda called on the ruling Awami League-led government to behave like the country's government, not the party.
"Ruling party people have been harassing and filing false cases against opposition party (BNP) activists in every thana across the country.
"Section 144 is being imposed on the spot where our MPs are calling meetings to prepare for council at their areas. Ruling party goons are also committing violence against women."
Replying to a query on transit, Khaleda said, "We want Asian Highway Network, but not any corridor. The government has not held any talks with us on the Asian Highway issue."
"The Indian high commissioner has also not contacted us."
The former prime minister said she was still willing to reduce the gap with the government. "We have been speaking of cooperation to close the gap with the government.
"But you can see what they are doing. The government itself is widening the distance."
Khaleda also pointed out the programmes her past 1996-2001 government had taken to reduce poverty.
She expressed the willingness to give the new government more time and cooperate with
"People will take to the streets against the government even if we we do not announce programme against it. Then we will have to stand by people."
BNP secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain, former speaker Jamiruddin Sircar, ASM Hannan Shah and Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, among others, were present at the conference.
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