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Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan urged the main opposition Awami League (AL) to sit inside or outside of the Parliament, wherever they like, to discuss their demands, especially reforms in caretaker government.
Mannan Bhuiyan, also the Minister for Local Government Rural Development (LGRD) and Cooperatives, voiced this while addressing as the chief guest a public rally organised by the city unit of the BNP at Mohanagar Natyamancha in the city Saturday, report agencies.
The ruling party celebrated the 'four years of vote revolution against the AL's misrule' as the four-party alliance, led by BNP, won landslide victory in the general election held on October 1, 2001.
Chaired by Dhaka City BNP President and Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka, the rally was addressed, among others, by Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Moudud Ahmed, State Minister for Cultural Affairs Selima Rahman, Jubo Dal President and Adviser to the Ministry of Commerce Barkat Ullah Bulu and
"The issue of reforms of non-party caretaker government could be discussed in the House or anywhere if the AL raises it by joining the parliament session", he said.
The LGRD minister bitterly criticised the main opposition AL for its irresponsible role as an opposition political party.
"You (AL) have to come first to consensus about what kind of reform you want.... Kamal wants one type of reform while B Chowdhury wants another type. Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) wants another type.... So you have to decide first what kind of reform you want", he said.
Pointing out the AL's demand, the ruling party secretary general said the next general election will be held as per schedule and the ruling BNP will hand over power to a neutral caretaker government in time.
He also said the BNP government will not hand over the power not a single day before expiry of its tenure.
Listing government's successes in various filed in the last four years, the senior BNP leader also said: "We have achieved tremendous success in all fields including economy, judiciary, education, health".
"We have also restored congenial atmosphere in the educational institutions and, above all, curbed crimes," he added.
"We have already made the law tougher against the adulteration of food and the drive against adulteration of food will be continued," he mentioned.
Regarding observance of October 1 as 'Black Day' by the AL, the minister also said: "By observing this day in such a way, they, once again, proved that they don't accept the people's mandate,"
Braving the rain, thousands of party supporters, leaders and activists joined the rally with processions brought out from the different parts of the city, by beating drums and chanting slogans.
Later, the ruling BNP brought out a procession from the rally venue that ended at the central party office after parading different streets of the city.
The venue of the rally was shifted from city's Muktangan to Mohanagar Natyamancha due to inclement weather.
Thousands of party workers thronged the venue braving incessant rains that almost paralysed the city life in the last two days.
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