Dhaka: BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday said their party’s only goal is to free its chairperson Khaleda Zia from jail.

Speaking at a human chain programme, he also said they will continue their peaceful movement until their chairperson is released from jail.

‘We know the government has kept our chairperson in jail only to resist its fall and our movement for restoration of democracy,’ the BNP leader said.

Fakhrul further said, ‘Now it’s our duty to remain united and carry out the movement to have our chairperson freed from jail. We must free her from jail as it is now our only goal.’

BNP arranged the human chain programme in front of its Nayapaltan central office to force the government to release Khaleda.

Fakhrul said they will not only free Khaleda from jail, but also ‘restore’ people’s rights through their united movement.

‘From this human chain programme, we would like to tell the government that people are now united against your unjust and misdeeds. We again call upon all political parties and democracy-loving people to forge a national unity for restoration of democracy,’ he said.

About the 11th parliamentary polls, he said the government must create a level-playing field by releasing Khaleda and all arrested BNP leaders and activists and withdrawing ‘false’ cases filed against them.

‘Parliament must be dissolved and the Prime Minister must quit for holding the election,’ the BNP leader added.

He accused the government of spreading lies over relinquishing Bangladesh nationality by their acting chairman Tarique Rahman.

The BNP leader said Tarique took political asylum in the UK, but he did not give up his Bangladeshi citizenship.

Several hundred leaders and activists of the party formed the human chain around 10:15am.

The BNP followers holding banners, festoons and placards chanted various slogans to have their chief released.

The programme ended peacefully around 11:50am amid the presence of huge law enforcers.