Abrar Hussain of DOT
In a statement she made from jail yesterday, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has urged supporters to ‘guard voting centers’ on today’s big election.
Her message was read out by BNP Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi during a media briefing yesterday. Khaleda, who served two terms as prime minister cannot participate in voting due to her corruption sentence, reported BDNews. However, Rizvi did not state how he received the message from Khaleda, who is currently at Dhaka’s old central jail.
“She said ‘Tomorrow will bring us the opportunity to free the nation from dictators, so go to your voting centers in groups and disregard every intimidation. Each vote you cast will pave the way for freedom of democracy and people’,” said Rizvi.
“She has urged you to take turns in securing voting centers starting today. And after you have prayed Fazr (dawn prayer) line up outside the voting centers. And after you’re done voting make sure you don’t leave the premises.”
Khaleda has also instructed polling agents to not sign off any document without first finding out the exact number of votes received by each candidate, Rizvi advised.
“The chairperson has asked you to not sign on blank documents. Don’t sign until the presiding officer has signed on the results. You’ll go with the presiding officer when he goes to the office of the returning officer or the assistant returning officer.”
Khaleda was sent to jail after a court sentenced her to five years in prison for embezzling funds from the Zia Orphanage Trust on Feb 8. She has been the sole prisoner at a building in Old Dhaka that once housed the Dhaka Central Jail, which shifted to a new address at Keraniganj.
Her party is contesting the election by forming the Jatiya Oikya Jote, an alliance headed by Gono Forum President Dr Kamal Hossain.