Dhaka: The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Friday again threw a challenge for the ruling Awami League to test their popularity in a midterm election.

The demand came from a roundtable on ‘Democracy of Bangladesh and Ziaur Rahman’ arranged by National Youth Forum at the National Press Club, marking the 29th death anniversary of former president Ziaur Rahman.

MK Anwar, BNP standing committee member, made the plea just a day after they opened a consultation with partners of the four-party alliance led by the former ruling party.

“The farewell bell for the Awami League government has already rung. So, the party should stand down from power and give midterm election,” the former minister told his audience.

BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia Thursday sat with the leaders of Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP) and Islami Oikya Jote, two of the components of the alliance.           

Sources informed that BNP would also have meetings with other like-minded parties like the National People’s Party, the National Democratic Alliance and the Khelafat Majlish Saturday.

Anwer alleged that the incumbent government has devoted all facilities to the gratification of India’s interest to cling to power. “But any master cannot protect the mass people-isolated government,” he said.  

Shafiul Alam Prodhan, Chairman of the National Democratic Party, Md. Kamaruzzaman, Assistant Secretary-General of Jamaat-e-Islami, and Sheikh Shawkat Hossain Nilu, Chairman of the National People’s Party, among others, attended the meeting.

BDST 1645 Hrs May 28, 2010
MM/RS/MMA/MUA