Source: :: The Daily Independent Bangladesh :.. Internet Edition
Khaleda urges peace, atones for past errors
She begs vote at mammoth rally, lashes out at 'vested quarter'
BNP chairperson and the immediate past Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia yesterday apologised for any inadvertent mistakes made during her government's tenure in the past pledging, if voted to power she would take lesson from these blunders and run the government accordingly. Khaleda Zia, who served twice as Prime Minister of the country, also made appeal to put an end to the politics of hartal, siege and hostilities and urged all political parties to forget past rancour in order to work hand in hand towards building a prosperous Bangladesh.
"We were in government and there may have been some mistakes then. For this I am sincerely expressing my regret and offering my apology to you. And I am making a solemn promise that if elected to the office, we will correct ourselves taking lessons from those mistakes," she said while addressing a mammoth election rally at Paltan Maidan in the capital yesterday. The meeting was the last in her campaign for the general election, which will be held tomorrow.
The grand election rally, organsied by the BNP-led four party alliance, stood out with its spectacular attendance and was a massive showdown of the alliance in recent times.
During her hour-long speech the BNP chairperson repeatedly urged the people to vote for the party's election symbol 'sheaf of paddy' and pledged to implement its election manifesto if voted to power.
During her speech Khaleda Zia also introduced all her party candidates in the city by handing over the 'sheaf of paddy' to them.
"All of us should work together forgetting what happened in the past," the former Prime Minister said apparently extending an olive branch to the rival political parties as she noted that time was too short to revitalise the economy, which "collapsed during the last two years."
"we have to work together to reduce the prices of essentials," she added.
She announced this amid warm applause from scores of people gathered in at the rally.
"There may be differences of opinion and ideology among us, but we have to be united to take the country forward," she said adding: "this is the time to start a new journey for building a better Bangladesh, where massive employment would be created to provide jobs for the unemployed youths."
Drawing attention of the new generation voters, in an emotion-choked voice she said, "as a mother I am pledging you that if you vote us to power we will make all-out efforts to ensure a better future for you. And remember you are the future leaders of the country."
Seeking votes from all spheres of people of the country, she hoped that people would vote her party and alliance to power, so that the new year could open up a new horizon for the nation.
Blasting her political opponents, Khaleda Zia said that "those who killed people through Logi and Boitha and who created terrorist godfathers in every district during their tenures could never curb terrorism."
In an oblique reference to her political rival Awami League president Sheikh Hasina, she said, "the promise to make a corruption-free Bangladesh did not fit in her mouth as she forged electoral alliance with a person who was known as the 'great thief' to all."
"Our four-party alliance has been there for a long time, and they have the fourteen-party alliance. But being an alliance of 14 parties, they could not master the strength to beat us, so they have formed the grand alliance by joining hands with a grand thief," Khaleda Zia said.
"That person was convicted by the court for his corruption and served a five- year jail term. The court that convicted him was a normal court, not a special court," Begum Zia said posing a query to the audiences as to how the rival alliance would curb corruption by forging electoral alliance with such a corrupt man.
Begum Zia alleged that by observing the massive onrush of people to her electoral rallies, a "vested quarter has started conspiracies".
"And they have started attacks on our candidates across the country. Our candidate Barrister Rafiqul Islam Mia was attacked by the activists of the rival parties. Our candidate in Kushtia also came under attack," she said.
Begum Zia said that the election scheduled to be held on January 22 was foiled "as part of a deep-rooted conspiracy".
"A vested quarter who does not want to see us as a self-reliant country were instrumental in this through their local agents. They have killed people through Logi and oars and were dancing on the dead body. They have burnt passenger buses though gun-powder and unleashed violence in the garments industry before the scheduled election. Activities at Chittagong Port came to a stand-still resulting in a blow to country's trade," she said adding: all these were done to ensure that the country's economy would be collapsed and the garments sector be destroyed to serve the purpose of that quarter.
Begum Zia said, after assumption of power by the present government, election was not held within 90 days "as they had sensed that four-party alliance would win the election."
"So election was deferred and effort was initiated to split our party. But the leaders who joined hands with them told them that if I were free, they could not implement their plan. So I was kept under house arrest. Even then I continued talking to party grassroots workers through teleconferences. Then the deviated leaders suggested that I should be sent abroad," she said, narrating her troubled days after the assumption of power by the present government.
She said that when she was approached by the authorities, she bluntly told them that she would never leave the country deserting the countrymen in danger.
"I have told them that I have no address abroad. My address is this soil and the people of this country. Then they arrested my two sons in connection with 'false cases' to put pressure on me. You have seen what was done to them but I did not surrender," Khaleda Zia said.
BNP secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain, senior leaders and former ministers Mirza Abbas, Barrister Rafiqul Islam Mia and Amanullah Aman, Jamaat leaders Maulana Mohammad Ishaq and Advocate Jashinuddin Sarker, Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP) leaders Tayabur Rahman and Shamem Al Mamun addressed the rally.
In his speech, BNP secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain urged the people to be united to prevent any election engineering. "The BNP-led four-party alliance will win if the upcoming general election is held in free, fair and credible manner," he said.
"Founder of BNP late President Ziaur Rahman declared independence of Bangladesh in 1971 and we achieved victory. Election is going to be held in this December. So that, cast your vote in favour of the four-party alliance and make it victorious," Khandaker Delwar Hossain added.
He alleged that a section of the media is speeding misinformation about the alliance. "But this cannot hold back the alliance from winning the upcoming parliamentary polls," he said.
Mirza Abbas said that the BNP-led alliance would come to power if it was not "victimised by election engineering".
He urged the voters to cast their votes in favour of BNP-led four-party alliance.
Amanullah Aman said that Bangladesh would be sold out "if the grand alliance came to power". "Please cast your vote in favour of the alliance for saving the country and its sovereignty," he said.
Khaleda urges peace, atones for past errors
She begs vote at mammoth rally, lashes out at 'vested quarter'
BNP chairperson and the immediate past Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia yesterday apologised for any inadvertent mistakes made during her government's tenure in the past pledging, if voted to power she would take lesson from these blunders and run the government accordingly. Khaleda Zia, who served twice as Prime Minister of the country, also made appeal to put an end to the politics of hartal, siege and hostilities and urged all political parties to forget past rancour in order to work hand in hand towards building a prosperous Bangladesh.
"We were in government and there may have been some mistakes then. For this I am sincerely expressing my regret and offering my apology to you. And I am making a solemn promise that if elected to the office, we will correct ourselves taking lessons from those mistakes," she said while addressing a mammoth election rally at Paltan Maidan in the capital yesterday. The meeting was the last in her campaign for the general election, which will be held tomorrow.
The grand election rally, organsied by the BNP-led four party alliance, stood out with its spectacular attendance and was a massive showdown of the alliance in recent times.
During her hour-long speech the BNP chairperson repeatedly urged the people to vote for the party's election symbol 'sheaf of paddy' and pledged to implement its election manifesto if voted to power.
During her speech Khaleda Zia also introduced all her party candidates in the city by handing over the 'sheaf of paddy' to them.
"All of us should work together forgetting what happened in the past," the former Prime Minister said apparently extending an olive branch to the rival political parties as she noted that time was too short to revitalise the economy, which "collapsed during the last two years."
"we have to work together to reduce the prices of essentials," she added.
She announced this amid warm applause from scores of people gathered in at the rally.
"There may be differences of opinion and ideology among us, but we have to be united to take the country forward," she said adding: "this is the time to start a new journey for building a better Bangladesh, where massive employment would be created to provide jobs for the unemployed youths."
Drawing attention of the new generation voters, in an emotion-choked voice she said, "as a mother I am pledging you that if you vote us to power we will make all-out efforts to ensure a better future for you. And remember you are the future leaders of the country."
Seeking votes from all spheres of people of the country, she hoped that people would vote her party and alliance to power, so that the new year could open up a new horizon for the nation.
Blasting her political opponents, Khaleda Zia said that "those who killed people through Logi and Boitha and who created terrorist godfathers in every district during their tenures could never curb terrorism."
In an oblique reference to her political rival Awami League president Sheikh Hasina, she said, "the promise to make a corruption-free Bangladesh did not fit in her mouth as she forged electoral alliance with a person who was known as the 'great thief' to all."
"Our four-party alliance has been there for a long time, and they have the fourteen-party alliance. But being an alliance of 14 parties, they could not master the strength to beat us, so they have formed the grand alliance by joining hands with a grand thief," Khaleda Zia said.
"That person was convicted by the court for his corruption and served a five- year jail term. The court that convicted him was a normal court, not a special court," Begum Zia said posing a query to the audiences as to how the rival alliance would curb corruption by forging electoral alliance with such a corrupt man.
Begum Zia alleged that by observing the massive onrush of people to her electoral rallies, a "vested quarter has started conspiracies".
"And they have started attacks on our candidates across the country. Our candidate Barrister Rafiqul Islam Mia was attacked by the activists of the rival parties. Our candidate in Kushtia also came under attack," she said.
Begum Zia said that the election scheduled to be held on January 22 was foiled "as part of a deep-rooted conspiracy".
"A vested quarter who does not want to see us as a self-reliant country were instrumental in this through their local agents. They have killed people through Logi and oars and were dancing on the dead body. They have burnt passenger buses though gun-powder and unleashed violence in the garments industry before the scheduled election. Activities at Chittagong Port came to a stand-still resulting in a blow to country's trade," she said adding: all these were done to ensure that the country's economy would be collapsed and the garments sector be destroyed to serve the purpose of that quarter.
Begum Zia said, after assumption of power by the present government, election was not held within 90 days "as they had sensed that four-party alliance would win the election."
"So election was deferred and effort was initiated to split our party. But the leaders who joined hands with them told them that if I were free, they could not implement their plan. So I was kept under house arrest. Even then I continued talking to party grassroots workers through teleconferences. Then the deviated leaders suggested that I should be sent abroad," she said, narrating her troubled days after the assumption of power by the present government.
She said that when she was approached by the authorities, she bluntly told them that she would never leave the country deserting the countrymen in danger.
"I have told them that I have no address abroad. My address is this soil and the people of this country. Then they arrested my two sons in connection with 'false cases' to put pressure on me. You have seen what was done to them but I did not surrender," Khaleda Zia said.
BNP secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain, senior leaders and former ministers Mirza Abbas, Barrister Rafiqul Islam Mia and Amanullah Aman, Jamaat leaders Maulana Mohammad Ishaq and Advocate Jashinuddin Sarker, Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP) leaders Tayabur Rahman and Shamem Al Mamun addressed the rally.
In his speech, BNP secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain urged the people to be united to prevent any election engineering. "The BNP-led four-party alliance will win if the upcoming general election is held in free, fair and credible manner," he said.
"Founder of BNP late President Ziaur Rahman declared independence of Bangladesh in 1971 and we achieved victory. Election is going to be held in this December. So that, cast your vote in favour of the four-party alliance and make it victorious," Khandaker Delwar Hossain added.
He alleged that a section of the media is speeding misinformation about the alliance. "But this cannot hold back the alliance from winning the upcoming parliamentary polls," he said.
Mirza Abbas said that the BNP-led alliance would come to power if it was not "victimised by election engineering".
He urged the voters to cast their votes in favour of BNP-led four-party alliance.
Amanullah Aman said that Bangladesh would be sold out "if the grand alliance came to power". "Please cast your vote in favour of the alliance for saving the country and its sovereignty," he said.
