BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia speaks at a view exchange meeting with editors and senior journalists of different national dailies, news agencies and TV channels at the Lakeshore Hotel in the city yesterday. Photo: Star

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia yesterday said the opposition led by her will play an active role both in the parliament and on streets while giving the incumbent government more time to prove itself.

She also said they do not want return of any unconstitutional government in the country.

"We want constitutional governments, and for that we also want cooperation from the government, so the opposition may play its due role in strengthening of democracy," she said at a views exchange meeting with editors and senior journalists of newspapers, news agencies, television channels, and radio stations.

Most of the editors and senior journalists urged the leader of the opposition in parliament to return to the House immediately, and to refrain from calling hartals and blockades.

In reply Khaleda said they will return to the parliament as the country's interest is their first priority.

Referring to her guests' remarks on calling of hartals and blockades, she said, "We've not called any hartal or strike in the last one year. We didn't ransack any place, but what the government has done? It was the ruling party people who called hartals day after day in Kishoreganj."

Earlier, welcoming the top journalists to the meeting, Khaleda said, "We've come here to meet you, as we could not meet for a long time, since I was in jail for about two years."

"I will not give a speech today. I will talk to you, and listen to you," she said with a smile.

Replying to the guests' queries, Khaleda said return of the opposition to the parliament alone will not ensure democracy; and the issue of seating arrangement was not the main reason for their walk out from the parliament.

"Has the government no responsibility? We were present in the House the very first day. Our oath taking ceremony was not aired [on state run television]. My speech was also not aired. You have to consider those things as well," she said.

"Once we announced that we would return to the House, and they started making provocative statements," she alleged saying the government has yet to submit to the parliament the treaties signed between Bangladesh and India.

"During the incident at BDR, we offered cooperation, but they [the government] did not call us. How discussions can be held if they don't invite us?" she said adding that she would sit for a discussion, had she got an invitation from the prime minister prior to the latter's India visit.

Criticising the government for price hike of essentials, failure to implement electoral pledges, politicisation of the administration, rise in criminal activities, and repression of journalists, she claimed prices were within the reach of the people during the last BNP regime.

Khaleda said BNP participated in the last parliamentary election because it wanted a democratic government, but the result of the poll "could not be real". "BNP is not a party to win only 30 seats. But despite that we went to the parliament and offered cooperation," she said.

Referring to the recent killing on Dhaka University campus, she said none of the student supporters of BNP are being able to reside in university dorms.

She said everyone is aware of the gas, water and power crises in the country, but the government could not care less, as it is busy implementing its "pledges to foreigners".

Renowned editors and senior journalists ABM Musa, Mahbubul Alam, Matiur Rahman, Mahfuz Anam, Nurul Kabir, AMM Bahauddin, Abed Khan, Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, Reazuddin Ahmed, Shykh Seraj, and Shafik Rehman were present among others.

BNP Chairperson's Press Secretary Maruf Kamal Khan Sohel coordinated the meeting.