Dhaka, Nov 12 (V7N) — National Citizen Party (NCP) Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwari said there is no reason for the public to panic over the Awami League’s “Dhaka Lockdown” program announced for November 13.

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the National Health Alliance, a joint platform of health professionals and students, at the Dhaka Reporters Unity on Wednesday afternoon, Patwari said that all parties will be active on the streets tomorrow. “One Hasnat Abdullah of NCP is enough to stop the Awami League in the field. You have no reason to worry. They have died politically, and now the stench is spreading,” he remarked.

Referring to the five-point demand raised by eight parties including Jamaat-e-Islami, which calls for a referendum and implementation of the July National Charter before the elections, Patwari urged the alliance to continue their movement until the demands are fulfilled.

“The referendum must take place in Bangladesh. Even if BNP tries for 100 years, they will not be able to prevent it — because the majority of people want it,” he said, adding that the current leadership of the party appears “disconnected from the people.”

He further stated that former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia was able to “catch the pulse of the people,” which helped BNP emerge as one of the largest political parties in the country. “But if today’s leaders fail to understand the people’s sentiment, they are only harming themselves,” he concluded.

END/SMA/AJ