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Khaleda asks Hasina to give up hartal

Staff Correspondent
Prime Minister Khaleda Zia yesterday called upon Leader of the Opposition Sheikh Hasina to give up what she said was the path of hartal, violence and destruction and asked the people to resist the politics of destruction.
Addressing a mammoth public meeting at Azad office ground in Lalbagh, she said people did not want mindless hartals and already expressed no confidence to the politics that hindered development.
Referring to her arch-rival and
Awami League President Hasina's commitment of not calling hartal even when in opposition, she said: "You made many promises to the nation, but you did not keep anyone. This time I urge you to keep only one promise -- the promise of not calling hartal anymore."
Huge crowds from Lalbagh-Kamrangirchar and its adjoining areas converged on the venue, overcrowding roads, lanes and bylanes.
Dhaka city BNP organised the meeting as part of its eight public rallies in all constituencies in Dhaka. Similar meetings were held in Jatrabari on February 14 and Bashabo on Feb 28 and the next meeting is slated for March 9 at Badda Progoti Sarawani.
In her 25-minute speech, the BNP chairperson alleged that the main opposition believed in the 'politics of violence, destruction and of dead bodies and suffered the polls debacle in 2001 for it.
"They are now desperate for bodies to heat up politics," she said, adding the carrying of coffins in their processions proved it.
On AL's one-point demand, Khaleda said after the last general elections the party created pressure on then president Shahabuddin Ahmed, the chief election commissioner and others concerned to cancel the polls and delayed lawmakers' oath-taking by asking the former speaker not to administer the oath.
"The opposition has no moral right to raise the demand of dissolution of the Jatiya Sangsad," she said,
predicting that the number of its lawmakers would further dip in next polls.
She expressed the confidence the next general elections that would take place after completion of the tenure of the current parliament would return the BNP and the four-party alliance to office.
She listed her government's development activities implemented in the last two years and under implementation.
On a local demand of relocation of Dhaka Central Jail, the premier said her government initiated work on the plan.
A recreation park will be constructed and roads will be expanded after relocation of the jail, she said.
Presided over by local BNP unit Convenor Golam Morshed, the rally was also addressed, by LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, Health Minister Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Communications Minister Nazmul Huda, DCC Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka, legislator Khandaker Mahbubuddin Ahmed, Housing and Public Works Minister Mirza Abbas, State Minister for Cultural Affairs Selima Rahman, State Minister for Labour and Manpower Amanullah Aman, Barkatullah Bhulu, local MP Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu and business leader Abdul Mottaleb.