A group of freedom fighters staged a six-hour hunger strike on Monday in the capital to press home the opposition’s one-point demand.
The programme is also meant for mounting pressure on the government to unconditionally release BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.
Jatiyatabdai Muktijoddha Dal organised the programme in front of BNP’s Nayapaltan central office.
BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi inaugurated the programme at 11am with the participation of around 150 freedom fighters.
Rizvi said that the brave freedom fighters who fought for the liberation of the motherland in their youth have now started a daylong hunger strike here for the release of Khaleda Za and the fall of the government extending their support to the one-point movement.
Though the current government used to talk about the Liberation War, he said it has buried democracy, obliterated freedom of expression and suppressed the voices of people.
“Democracy was the main spirit of the Liberation War. Pakistanis did not want to give us rights. To establish that right and democracy, we waged the Liberation War,” the BNP leader said.
Jatiyatabadi Muktijoddha Dal President Ishtiaq Aziz Ulfat said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir will make the freedom fighters drink water to break their hunger strike at 5pm.
On July 12 last, Mirza Fakhrul formally announced their ‘one-point’ demand. Around 36 other opposition parties also announced the one-point demand on the same day.
The opposition’s one-point demand includes the resignation of the current ‘fascist, authoritarian, people’s vote looter and illegal’ Awami League government, dissolution of the existing parliament, formation of the polls-time impartial government and reconstitution of the Election Commission for arranging a free, fair and inclusive election, the release of all political prisoners, including BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, withdrawal of all falls and ghost cases, including those against Tarique Rahman, and annulment of all false convictions.
