UNB, Dhaka: Reaffirming her alliance’s stance that the ongoing movement will continue until it reaches its logical consequence, BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia on Friday placed a host of demands, including the arrangement of a dialogue for holding an inclusive election. “The ongoing movement will continue until it reaches its logical consequence… this movement will be successful soon, Inshallah,” she told a press conference at her Gulshan office in the city. Terming the present political crisis a political and constitutional one, Khaleda said Awami League, particularly Sheikh Hasina, has created the crisis scraping the caretaker government system unilaterally and holding the January-5 parliamentary elections. The former Prime Minister placed a three-point demand, including the release of all political detainees, restoring the political rights of holding meetings and rallies, and arrangement of a dialogue for snap election in free and fair manner. She alleged that the government did not live up to its commitment though it had promised a fresh election following a dialogue saying that the January-5 election was a constitutional formality. “It was a mistake for us to retreat from the movement trusting Sheikh Hasina,” Khaleda said. She hoped that the government will return to the path of compromise through negotiations as the solution to the ongoing political standoff is now in government’s hand. This was Khaleda Zia’s first press briefing since January 19 after the government withdrew its 15-day siege to her office. The BNP chief began reading out a written statement around 4:46pm. She has been living in her political office since January 3 last. On January 5, the 20-party combine chief announced a non-stop transport blockade programme after having failed to come out from the Gulshan office to join her alliance’s scheduled rally in the capital on the day. The non-stop blockade passed off its 67th day on Friday. Besides, the alliance routinely enforced hartals on all working days every week for the last two months alongside its blockade.
