Dhaka: BNP on Saturday began collecting signatures from mass people demanding the release of its chairperson Khaleda Zia from jail.

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir launched the programme from its Naya Paltan central office in the morning.

Standing Committee members of the party put their signatures on a form as part of the programme.

On Friday, they announced to hold a public rally in the city on February 22 to press home their demand.

BNP on Thursday announced another round of peaceful countrywide protest programmes.

The programmes include collecting signatures from mass people across the country on Saturday, submitting memorandums to all the deputy commissioner offices on Sunday and staging demonstrations in all the district towns and metropolitan cities, except Dhaka, on Tuesday.

A special court convicted former prime minister and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and sentenced her to five years' imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case on February 8 last. She was then sent to the old central jail at Nazimuddin Road in the city.

As part of the programmes, the party observed a token hunger strike on Wednesday while formed a human chain in front of the Jatiya Press Club on Monday and staged a sit-in programme in front of the party's Nayapaltan central office on Tuesday.