Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN)- After the general strike for the three straight days, BNP on Tuesday gave the government until Saturday (April 28) to return its disappeared leader M Ilias Ali or else the opposition party warned that it would launch tougher programs.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairperson Khaleda Zia gave the ultimatum at a crowded press conference at her Gulshan office Tuesday evening.
The BNP chairperson also announced countrywide demonstration programs for April 26 and 28 to press for the demand. “The next course of programs will be announced centrally on April 28,” she said.
Ilias Ali, a former MP and BNP organizing secretary, went missing along with his driver on April 17 midnight. BNP blamed security agencies for the mysterious disappearance of Ilias Ali, an allegation denied by the government.
Khaleda asked the government to return to the path of peace and democracy, shunning the nasty path of terrorism, secret killing and forced disappearance. “Return Ilias and his driver immediately as they have been made disappeared,” she asked the government.
Wife of Ilias Ali, Tahsina Rushdir Luna and their two sons and daughter were present at the press conference.
Asked whether Ilias was alive, Khaleda said they could not be sure but were hopeful as the government said it would find him out.
Replying to a question, she said it the government might have picked up Ilias Ali following her party’s growing popularity and Ilias Ali was a popular leader.
In response to another question, she said investigation into the disappearance of Ilias Ali will take its own course while the movement will go on its own way.
BNP leaders Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman, MK Anwar, Barrister Jamiruddin
Sircar, Brig Gen (retd) Hannan Shah, Mirza Abbas, Gayeshwar Chandra
Roy, Nazrul Islam Khan, Maj Gen (retd) Ruhul Alam Chowdhury and BNP chairperson’s press secretary Maruf Kamal Khan were, among others, present at the press conference.
Apart from the Ilias issue, the BNP chief touched various issues, including failures and misrule of the government, during her 30-minute written speech.
BBN/SSR/AD-25Apr12-1:30 am (BST)
