A group of freedom fighters (FFS) staged a six-hour hunger strike on Monday in the capital demanding the unconditional release of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.

Jatiyatabadi Muktijoddha Dal organised the programme on the ground floor of BNP’s Nayapaltan central office also to mount pressure on the government to accept the opposition’s one-point demand that includes the resignation of the current Awami League regime to hold the next polls under a neutral government.

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi inaugurated the programme at 11 am with the participation of around 200 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.

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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.

BNP Vice Chairman Abdullah Al Noman made the freedom fighters drink water to break their hunger strike at about 5pm.

Earlier, speaking at the programme, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the current ‘usurper’ government has dashed the freedom fighters’ dream of building a democratic country by obliterating democracy and people’s voting and other rights. “We the freedom fighters did not want this Bangladesh without rights of people and democracy.”

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He said the ruling party leaders are indulging in widespread corruption and plundering and siphoning off a huge amount of money abroad as they are least bothered about the suffering and development of the country and its people.

The BNP leader said people are going through immense suffering due to the rise in prices of all the essential items and for lack of employment opportunities.

He said their party has been on a movement to establish a government of people by ousting the current ‘undemocratic’ and ‘illegitimate’ regime.

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