BNP on Wednesday announced a 2-day-long countrywide programme on September 8 and 12 next demanding release of its Chairperson Khaleda Zia from jail.

The party’s Senior Joint Secretary General Advocate Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed announced the programme at a press conference at its Nayapaltan central office.

Under the programmes, an hour-long human chain will be formed in all metropolitan cities and district towns including Dhaka on September 8 next. The central leaders of the party will form a human chain in front of the national press club in Dhaka.

Besides, a token hunger-strike will be staged from 10am to 12 noon on Septemebr 12 next.

Rizvi said that they sought permission from the authorities of Mohanagar Natiya Moncho and the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh to get any one of the venues to stage their token hunger strike programme.

Criticising the setting-up of the court in the jail, he said that now the only one desire of the people is the release of Begum Khaleda Zia.

Advisor to BNP chairperson Abdus Salam, Organizing secretary Sayed Emran Saleh Prince, Training affairs secretary ABM Mosharraf Hossain, Assistant organizing secretary Abdus Salam Azad, Assistant office secretary Md. Munir Hossain were attended among others in the conference.

On 8 February last, a special court sentenced Khaleda to five years’ rigorous imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.

Khaleda, a 73-year-old former prime minister, was taken to the old central jail minutes after the verdict was delivered.