TDS Desk:

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairperson Khaleda Zia has called for an end to the ‘politics of revenge.

Khaleda Zia made the call while addressing the BNP rally in Dhaka’s Nayapaltan. She joined the rally virtually on Wednesday afternoon.

The former prime minister said, “Let’s create a Bangladesh of love, prosperity and peace. We have to create a united Bangladesh from the ruins of a dismantled democracy.”

She also expressed gratitude to all ‘brave children’ who made it possible for her to speak.

The last time Khaleda Zia spoke in public was on 8 February, 2018. A festive mood was prevailing at the BNP’s headquarters.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party Chairperson Khaleda Zia emphasised the importance of peace over destruction. “We don’t want destruction; we want peace,” Khaleda Zia stated during a rally in front of the BNP’s central office at Naya Paltan. She joined the rally virtually from her hospital room shortly before 4:30pm.

Addressing the youth, she said, “Students are the future of our country, and the youth must work to realize their dreams. This victory has brought us to a new struggle. Now, we must build a prosperous Bangladesh. Let’s strengthen the hands of the youth.”

The rally, which began at 3:30pm with a Quran recitation on a makeshift stage, also included a minute of silence in memory of the students and political leaders who lost their lives during the anti-discrimination student movement.

The Naya Paltan area was flooded with BNP activists, many carrying the national flag and banners of various leaders. The air was filled with slogans as piecemeal processions gathered around the rally.

BNP standing committee member Selima Rahman opened the event, which was presided over by BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. The party’s Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman also addressed the rally as the chief guest, joining virtually from London.