Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Monday demanded the government take steps for holding a participatory general election after releasing its chairperson Khaleda Zia and other party leaders from jail.

‘We want the national election to be held with the participation of all parties under a neutral government. That’s way we demand the government hold the election after freeing our leader Khaleda Zia and all other political prisoners,’ said BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

He came up with the remarks after placing a wreath together with BNP senior leaders at the grave of its founder Ziaur Rahman at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the capital marking the 48th Independence Day.

Fakhrul said their party has been on a movement seeking their chairperson’s release and a credible election under a nonparty neutral government.   

He said their party’s senior leaders, on behalf of their party chairperson Khaleda Zia and senior vice-chairman Tarique Rahman, paid homage to the martyrs of the Liberation War by placing wreaths at the National Mausoleum, marking the Independence Day.

The BNP leader said the nation is celebrating the Independence Day at a time when ‘mother of democracy’ Khaleda Zia is in jail. ‘Our chairperson and several thousand party leaders and activists have been kept in jail through a conspiracy.’

He also accused the government of plotting to keep Khaleda and Tarique away from politics and the next national election. ‘We’ll restore democracy through a movement.’

Earlier, BNP senior leaders, led by its standing committee members, placed the wreaths at the altar of the National Mausoleum at Savar around 9:15am.

They also stood in solemn silence there for some time as a mark of respect to the memory of the Liberation War martyrs.

Later, they went to BNP founder Ziaur Rahman’s grave at Sher-e Bangla Nagar and placed a wreath there around 11:00am.

Fakhrul, standing committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Moudud Ahmed, Mirza Abbas, Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan and Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Vice-chairmen Abdullah Al Noman, Mohammad Shahjahan and AZM Zahid were, among others, present.