Dhaka: Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia on Monday night asked her party's senior leaders to visit their respective areas before and during eid for carrying out anti-government campaign and also standing beside grassroots leaders and activists affected during the party's past movement.

The BNP chief gave the direction at a meeting with them at her Gulshan office.  

BNP standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan briefed reporters after the meeting that began at about 9:15pm and ended at about 11:05pm.

He said the meeting discussed various issues relating to the country's latest political situation, party activities, party overhauling process, its next course of action, government's repressive acts, corruption, law and order price hike and public sufferings.

It strongly condemned the government's repressive acts, killing and making disappeared of the opposition men and filing of 'false' cases against them, Nazrul said.

The meeting also urged the government to 'restore democracy shunning repression and oppression on the opposition leaders and activists'.

It demanded the government release the arrested BNP leaders and activists and not to harass those are on the run facing political cases, he added.

The BNP leaders also voiced deep concern over the growing price hike of essentials and deterioration of law and order.

They demanded the government take necessary steps so that the eid holidaymakers can safely and smoothly go to their homes and return.

The meeting criticised the government for importing rotten wheat from Barzail and its inaction in this regard.

Nazrul said the meeting has decided to strengthen BNP's organisational capacity through its overhaul.

He said the party leaders will again sit after eid and will work out the party overhauling process and its next course of action.

The BNP leaders said they will continue their movement for restoring democracy in the country.

BNP standing committee members Moudud Ahmed, Mahbubur Rahman, ASM Hannan Shah, Jamiruddin Sircar, Sarwari Rahman, Abdul Moyeen Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan, vice chairmen Shah Moazzem Hossain, Chowdhury Kamal Ibne Yusuf, Abdullah Al Noman, Hafizuddin Ahmed, Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, Selima Rahman, chairperson's adviser Mahmudul Hasan, Shahjahan Omar, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Inam Ahmed Chowdhury, Abdul Halim, Ruhul Amin Chowdhury, Shawkat Mahmud, Zainul Abedin, Ahmed Azam Khan and joint secretary general M Shahjahan were, among others, present at the meeting.  

This was the first formal meeting with Khaleda's party senior leaders since she returned home on 5 April after nearly three months of her stay in her Gulshan office.