Nothing happened behind the scenes: Fakhrul

In response to Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader's assertion of having reached an understanding "behind the scenes" with the United States, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir firmly claimed that no such agreement has transpired in reality. 

Addressing a mass hunger strike organised by BNP in the capital's Nayapaltan area on Saturday, Fakhrul criticised the ruling party, stating, "The whole world is telling them to quit. The countrymen are fed up with their atrocities and injustice, but they want to stay in power by force."

The BNP Secretary General emphasised the incarceration of their party chairperson, Khaleda Zia, stating, "Today, the leader who dedicated her life to the country's democracy finds herself behind bars."

He said that all political parties participating in the hunger strike vowed not to return home until the current government is ousted.

Fakhrul said Khaleda's release is crucial to the freedom of democracy. "If she is released, democracy will be freed. There is no alternative to a united movement now to save the country and the economy," he noted.

Photo: Collected

Accusing Awami League of attacking the puja mandaps and falsely implicating the BNP leaders, Fakhrul said, "This is what they always do."

BNP Standing Committee Member Mirza Abbas said, "Khaleda Zia has been detained in a fabricated case. We took every possible action for her release. We appealed, held rallies, and protested." 

"There is still time to send Khaleda Zia abroad for better treatment. If they [the government] choose to do so, we may consider forgiving them for the alleged slow poisoning she has endured."

BNP leader Gayeshwar Chandra Roy said, "Sheikh Hasina is unlikely to permit Khaleda Zia to receive the necessary medical care, and there is a perceived injustice occurring under the guise of justice. We will persist in opposing any compromise on the principles of our leader and work towards liberating her."

DAB demands Khaleda Zia's treatment abroad

The Doctors Association of Bangladesh (DAB), an organisation affiliated with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), organised a human chain event outside the premises of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) on Saturday, advocating for the overseas medical treatment of Khaleda Zia.

Professor Dr Harun Al Rasheed, the Central President of DAB, highlighted that Khaleda Zia currently is under house arrest due to, what he termed, a politically motivated case.

He expressed concern, stating, "At press conferences, medical experts, unaffiliated with political affiliations, emphatically stated that there is an absence of sufficient medical resources and treatments within the country to address Khaleda Zia's health condition. They advocated for her treatment to be pursued abroad."

Dr Rasheed further underscored the gravity of the situation, stating, "In light of the government stance, her health stands in jeopardy, rendering her vulnerable to unforeseen health crises that could transpire at any given moment."

He implored, "If Khaleda Zia is not allowed to receive medical treatment overseas and any unfortunate incident occurs for this, the government should be prepared to bear the consequences of any potential public outrage."