BNP announces 10-point demands, simultaneous movement

Staff Reporter :
BNP has announced a 10-point charter of demands for restoring democracy with the resignation of the ruling Awami League government and the dissolution of the parliament.
Amid tens of thousands of leaders and workers in the rally at the city’s Golapbagh playground, BNP Standing Committee Member and main speaker of the Dhaka programme Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain announced the demands.
 The 10-point charter of demands are: first, the ruling party government which was elected without votes and rigged votes must resign after the dissolution of the parliament.
Second, a partisan free and an interim caretaker government must be formed in line with the provisions 58 (Kha, Ga and Gha) that were enshrined in the Constitution in 1996.
Third, the interim and neutral caretaker government would abolish the current ‘illegal’ Election Commission and form an independent and impartial Election Commission which will be acceptable to all.
As part of the precondition of free and fair election, this Commission will make arrangements to amend RPO, cancel EVM system and conduct vote by ballot papers in a bid to ensure level playing field. In addition, the use of political party symbol for local government election has to be abolished.
Fourth, all the opposition leaders including Khaleda Zia as well as professional human rights activists, journalists, religious scholars and politically imprisoned activists must be released immediately by scrapping their sentences, false cases filed against them.
There must not be any hindrance to hold rallies and meetings and the freedom of expression in the country. There must not be any interference or hurdles by the administration and the ruling party to freely carry out democratic and peaceful programmes of all parties.
The opposition leaders and workers must not be arrested and new cases must not be registered to silence the dissent voices in an ‘autocratic’ style.
Five, all ‘black’ laws including Digital Security Act, 2018, Anti-Terrorism Act, 2009 and Special Power Act, 1974 which rob the fundamental human rights must be abolished.
Six, anti-people government decisions which have hiked the prices of vegetable and electricity, fuel, fertiliser and water should be scrapped.
Seven, prices of daily essentials should be brought under general people’s capacity and the market should be made syndicate-free. Fair wages for the working class must be ensured in line with the inflation. Child labour should be stopped and the fair price of agri-products must be ensured.
Eight, a commission must be formed in a bid to identify the corruptions taken place in all levels of the State including in the banks and financial sector, electricity and energy sector as well as money laundering in the last 15 years.
Nine, all the citizens who became the victims of enforced disappearance in the last 15 years mush be rescued and due punishment through judicial process must be ensured for extra-judicial killing and state-sponsored repression of every incident.
Punishment must be ensured through judicial process against the responsible individuals engaged in the attack on the houses of religious minorities, vandalising their religious places and encroaching their properties.
Ten, the law enforcement agencies, administration and judiciary must be freed from executive interference in a bid to make them fit for working independently in a disciplined and professional manner.
“These points are meant for restoring democracy in the country,” Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said.
UNB adds: Dispelling all speculations and braving numerous obstacles, BNP on Saturday held a massive rally peacefully in the capital, from where the party announced to initiate a simultaneous anti-government movement on December 24 based on 10-point demand.
The party will hold mass processions across the country on December 24 to start the simultaneous anti-government movement.
Mass processions will be held on December 13 to denounce the killing of a Swechhasebol Dal activist in police action on December 7, arrest of the party’s top leaders and attack on its leaders and activists.
BNP standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain came up with announcement while speaking at the mammoth rally at Golapbagh ground.
Mosharraf said that all parties who reach an understanding with them to initiate a simultaneous movement will move forward and intensify the anti-government agitation.
Their 10-point demands include the resignation of the government, dissolution of parliament, including the provision of the caretaker government in the constitution through an amendment, formation of a new Election Commission under the caretaker government, creating a level-playing field before the election, holding the election using ballot papers, releasing BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and all other political prisoners without any condition and revoking the Digital Security Act and other repressive laws, ensuring the freedom of expression and assembly and keeping all essential items within the buying capacity of people.
Tens of thousands of people from the capital and different parts of the country joined the rally and crowd spilled over on to several square kilometers around the rally venue.
Before joining the rally, the party’s all seven MPs resigned from the Parliament by sending their resignation letter through an email.
BNP standing committee member Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku said lakhs of people joined the rally as they want to get rid of the fascist misrule of the current regime.
He alleged that the government has been trying to hang onto power by suppressing the opposition using law enforcers as it lost ground beneath its feet.
BNP on September 27 announced a series of public rallies in 10 divisional cities to denounce the price hike of daily essentials and fuels, the death of five party men in previous police action in Bhola, Narayanganj, Munshiganj and Jashore, and to ensure the freedom of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.
The party has already arranged rallies in Chattogram, Mymensingh, Khulna, Rangpur, Barishal, Faridpur, Sylhet, Cumilla and Rajshahi braving various obstacles and transport strikes.
BNP has long been demanding that the next general election be held under a caretaker government, not under any political government – a demand sharply rejected by the ruling Awami League as the constitution does not allow it to happen.