Staff Correspondent
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia on Saturday called upon the government to sit in a dialogue immediately with her party over holding mid-term general elections under a caretaker administration.
Khaleda's demand came hours after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina ruled out the possibility of any midterm election and holding any dialogue with BNP, as nothing wrong has happened in the country after the January 5 election. The PM was responding to a volley of questions from Bangladeshi journalists living in New York.
Terming Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) 'a killer force', the BNP Chief reiterated her demand for disbanding 'the crime busting' unit of police.  
The BNP Chairperson said these while addressing a rally at Jamalpur Zila School ground organised by the local BNP-led 20-party alliance to drum up public support for its demand of scrapping of 16th Constitutional Amendment Bill and holding fresh parliamentary election under a non-party administration.
Saying fair elections are not possible under the ruling Awami League government, Khaleda Zia said, "BNP is the largest party in the country. So, the government must sit for dialogue with the party over holding the general election."
Terming the incumbent government unelected and illegal, the BNP Chairperson Said, "Sheikh Hasina must have to give penalty one day for vote rigging, irregularities and corruptions in different projects taken by the government."
Describing the present parliament as an illegal one, the former prime minister said, "Any law passed by this parliament will be considered illegal."
"The government is saying that BNP made a serious mistake by not taking part in the January 5 election. So, the party is now paying the price of the mistake. But, you'll have to pay the price for stealing people's votes," she said.
The BNP chairperson said, "We didn't commit any mistake by boycotting the election. People are now with us. The entire world is now saying that free and fair election under Sheikh Hasina is not possible."
Khaleda Zia also said, "RAB has been turned into a killer and terrorist force. The force must be disbanded. Otherwise, no-one's life is safe as the members of the elite force kill people in exchange of money."
Saying over 300 people of her party have been killed in the hands of the RAB, other law enforcement agencies and Awami League cadres, she said so the RAB cannot continue any more.
The former prime minister called upon police to work as friends of people and not to execute government's orders if they are directed to abduct or kill people.
This is Khaleda's fifth rally since January 5 one-sided election boycotted by the BNP-led alliance. Earlier, the BNP chief held rallies in Rajbari, Munshiganj, Dinajpur and Brahmanbaria to drum up public support in favour of the alliance's demand.
BNP Acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Standing Committee member of BNP Mirza Abbas, Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman, Jamaat-e-Islami Nayeebe Ameer Prof Mojibur Rahman, among others, addressed the rally.