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Khaleda won't budge

Staff Correspondent
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia yesterday said the ongoing anti-government movement would continue until the 20-party alliance's demands were met.
"Our movement will go on until it achieves the desired goal. I am urging all to
take part in this movement,” she said in a press statement. "Our backs are up against the wall and we have no alternative but to go for the movement."
Claiming that the movement was completely peaceful and systematic, the BNP chief said several people had been killed by petrol bombs during the movement. She con
demned the attack on innocent people and demanded arrest of "the real culprits".
Holding the government responsible for the ongoing arson attacks on vehicles and killings, she said, “We don't believe in evil politics which put the lives of citizens at risk."
Khaleda's statement came when the BNP-led alliance's ongoing blockade was on its 31st consecutive day. At least 54 people had been killed in violence and bomb attacks across the country during this period.
Over the month, the alliance had also enforced eight days of hartal for which the Secondary School Certificate exams for 15 lakh students had to be deferred twice.
The SCC exams are now scheduled to start today but there is a fear the exams could get deferred further.
The five consecutive days of hartals ended yesterday and announcement for fresh hartals is expected next week.
Mentioning that extreme pressure was mounted on her in a planned manner at a time when she was trying to deal with the shock of losing her son, Khaleda said she was ready to face anything and would not bow to any pressure and threats.
"We have enforced the movement not to go to power but to uphold the democracy, ensure people's fundamental and human rights, justice and rule of law.
"We have been calling upon the government for the last one year to hold a dialogue to create a congenial atmosphere for an all-inclusive national election but they did not pay any attention," she said.
The former prime minister feared that the country might see the rise of militancy again due to the govern-
ment's repressive policies against its oppositions. "And for this, the security of not only Bangladesh but also of the whole region may be affected," she said.
She also called upon the international community and democratic countries to raise their voice against the "state-backed terrorism", and for the people's democratic movement.
Khaleda alleged that the law enforcers had killed 33 and arrested 17,000 of her party men since the blockade begun on January 6.
TOUGHER PROGRAMMES
In a separate statement, the BNP yesterday threatened to enforce even tougher programmes from Sunday if the government did not step down and take measures to hold a national election under a non-partisan administration.
Party's Joint Secretary General Salah Uddin Ahmed issued the statement.
DEMOS NEAR KHALEDA'S OFFICE Transport workers yesterday staged demonstrations near Khaleda's office demanding withdrawal of the countrywide blockade and hartals. They also threatened to continue with their protests until their demand was met.
Wearing shrouds, some 200 workers under the banner of Bangladesh Sammilito Gari Chalak and Sramik Samiti protested around 100 yards away from the office in the afternoon.
At least two crude bombs went off near the gathering but none was hurt.
They again gathered there at night, but police forced them to retreat.
Earlier in the day, several thousand students from 40 schools of Badda and its adjacent areas formed a human chain on Rampura-Badda Road demanding withdrawal of the blockade and hartal during the SSC exams.