Dhaka: BNP on Sunday announced a two-day countrywide fresh programme, including formation of human chain in the capital, demanding its chairperson Khaleda Zia’s release from jail.

As part of its programmes, the party will form a human chain for an hour on Tuesday and stage a sit-in for another hour on Thursday.

BNP senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi announced the programme at a press briefing at the party’s Nayapaltan central office.

‘We’ll form human chains across the country from 11am to 12 noon on Tuesday while stage sit-in on Thursday at the same time demanding the unconditional release of our chairperson Khaleda Zia,’ he said.

Rizvi said they will later announce the name of the venue to observe the two programmes in the capital.

BNP’s last programme was countrywide leaflet distribution on March 1 demanding Khaleda’s release.

After the jailing of Khaleda, the party observed different peaceful programmes, including leaflet distribution, countrywide demonstration, human-chain formation, sit-in, token hunger-strike, protest procession in five phases, demanding her release.

On February 8, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia was sent to jail after a special court sentenced her to five years’ rigorous imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.

Rizvi alleged that BNP’s leaders and activists are being tortured taking them on remand. ‘Thousands of BNP leaders and activists have been kept in jail ahead of the next polls. They’re being oppressed in the name of remand.’

He said their party senior joint secretary general Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal has been kept in narrow solitary confinement at Kashimpur High Security Central Jail where usually hardened criminals are kept.

On the other hand, the BNP leader said, those involved in plundering public money from different banks have been kept with various facilities at the newly built Keraniganj Central Jail.

‘The politicians are being subjected to such brutal attitude of the current Sheikh Hasina-led government. We strongly condemn it,’ he added.

Rizvi demanded the government immediately release their party’s all arrested leaders and activists.