Dhaka: Bangladesh urgently needs an election as the current government has forcefully taken over power without public support, says Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson Khaleda Zia.

Khaleda Zia came up with the remarks at a meeting with senior leaders of United Kingdom BNP.

Criticising the current government, the former prime minister said, the country is passing through a hard time. There is no democracy, human rights, or rule of law in the country. The government is controlling the judiciary and one has to face trial and torture if one protests any issue.

On 16 September, Khaleda Zia went to London for a personal visit. During the regime of caretaker government in 2008, Khaleda Zia’s elder son Tarique Rahman left Bangladesh for medical treatment. Since then, he is in the United Kingdom with his family living there under political asylum. This will be the first time Khaleda Zia is going to celebrate the Eid-ul-Azha outside the country.

Khaleda Zia’s adviser Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, personal secretary ABM Abdus Sattar and Tabith Awal are accompanying her.

The party source said, though it’s a personal visit, Khaleda Zia is expected to meet the ruling and the opposition party of the United Kingdom as well as diplomats of some international organisations there.