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Go all out to resist polls

Khaleda asks party men to form 'Sangram Committee' at every polling centre

Prabir Barua Chowdhury and IQBAL SlDDIQUEE, from Sylhet
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia yesterday said "all-party action committee" would be formed at every polling centre to resist "onesided election under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina".
"We will wait till October 24 to see whether the government brings a bill in parliament and restores the caretaker government system. Otherwise, we will start a movement from October 25," she said at a mammoth rally at the Alia Madrasa ground in Sylhet.
"Today, I want to tell you that all-party sangram committees will be formed at all polling stations across the country to resist one-sided election under the Awami League,” the opposition leader said to roaring cheers from the crowd.
The Election Commission is now working to set up around 40,000 polling centres for the next parliamentary election likely to be held between October 25 and January 24.
If voted to power, Khaleda said, the BNP would try this government's high-ups, including Sheikh Hasina. "You [Hasina] keep talking about crimes against humanity while you yourself have committed many crimes against
humanity including killing and forced disappearance in the last five years. So you will be tried."
The leader of the opposition said though
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Hasina yesterday unveiled the foundation plaque for Rampal power plant, the BNP would not go ahead with the project if it took office.
"The power project would be scrapped once my party comes to power, because the plant would destroy all animals, and environment of the Sundarbans," she told several lakhs of people who joined the rally braving torrential downpour.
"We are not against power plants. We need them but not at Rampal. The plant may be set up somewhere else in the country."
Khaleda claimed the people of India had opposed the plan for setting up the plant near the Sundarbans on their part, and so the Indian government was now forcing it upon Bangladesh.
Turning to the next parliamentary election, the BNP chairperson reiterated that it
has to be overseen by a neutral caretaker government. “The whole world has said a onesided election will not be acceptable. If they move to hold such an election, you people will form all-party action committees to resist it."
She said no election would be allowed under the Awami League or Hasina. She urged people to join the action committees if the government did not concede the opposition's demand by October 24.
Towards the end of her speech, she said, “See you in the election or on the streets. Quit the Awami League, save the country; quit Hasina, save the country."
The BNP and allies have planned grand rallies in seven divisional headquarters to drum up support for the demand for restoration of the caretaker system. Khaleda has so far addressed rallies in Rangpur, Rajshahi, Khulna
and Sylhet.
Yesterday's rally venue was crammed with leaders and activists of Islami Chhatra Shibir, student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, a key component of the 18-party alliance. Though the BNP is the leading party of the alliance, Shibir men occupied the front rows. They started to throng the venue from 9:30am with banners and festoons demanding the release of the Jamaat top brass, now behind bars on war crimes charges.
Around 2:30pm, a clash broke out between them and activists of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, pro-BNP student body, when they refused to give JCD men enough room near the stage. The senior leaders of the alliance were seen asking the organisations to stop fighting but to no avail.
The situation calmed
down after Khaleda got on the stage around 3:00pm.
Thanking the audience for negotiating rains, she mentioned her family's relations with the city and promised that if elected, she would introduce high-speed Sylhet-Dhaka train service and set up an export-processing zone, a women's university and an engineering university here.
In her 50-minute speech from 4:50pm, she referred to the May 5 crackdown on Hefajat-e Islam. According to newspaper reports, she said, about 1.55 lakh rounds of bullet were shot to drive away unarmed Islamists asleep at Motijheel Shapla Chattar in the capital.
"Are you a human being? How do you claim yourself to be a Muslim?" Khaleda asked the prime minister.
The BNP chief said the AL did not fulfil any of its election pledges. Soon after the libera-
tion, she alleged, the then government destroyed the jute industiy and now this government is destroying the garment industry.
The former prime minister said BNP leader Ilias Ali, an ex-MP from Sylhet was kidnapped as he waged a campaign against controversial Tipaimukh dam project of India. “We have repeatedly asked the government to return Ilias Ali."
Earlier, Tahsina Rushdir, wife of Ilias, addressed the rally and urged people to wage a movement to oust the government. "Wewillgetback Ilias only with the change of government" shesaid.
The BNP chairperson in her speech asked the alliance activists to lodge anti-govemment movement and warned the civil administration including law enforcers against any repression on the opposition during the protest programmes.
She blasted theadministra-tion for detaining Islami Chhatra Shibir President Delwar Hossain and "maiming" him in the name of remand.
She said the AL government calls upon people to give it another five years, though it has “grabbed all institutions, including the five state-owned banks” in its presentterm.
Khaleda also rejected the AL's allegation that BNP patronises militants, and said most of the bomb attacks took place during the AL government tenures. She claimed her party took action against militants.
The BNP chief said the AL was behind the attacks on minorities but it put the blame on the BNP-Jamaat. She asked the Hindu community to stay with the BNP-led 18-party combine and said it would ensure their security.