The government is staging a drama over the issues of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia’s scope to do politics, the party’s secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said.

Raising question over the curiosity of the government on this issue, the BNP leader further said, “The government wants to mislead the people of the country.”

He made the remarks while addressing at a programme held at National Press Club in Dhaka on Monday. Jatiyatabadi Tanti Dal arranged a discussion to mark its founding anniversary.

Fakhrul said, “Khaleda Zia will do politics at the appropriate time, and she will do it wherever she stays. There is no need of Awami League’s worry on this issue.”

Terming the trail of BNP chief Khaleda as unfair, Fakhrul said, “Khaleda has been subjected to house arrest in an unjust way. She is critically ill. She will go to hospital today for health check up. They (ministers) are staging drama in various tactics. Their ministers once said Khaleda Zia cannot do politics. Meanwhile, another minister said there is no obstacle for her (Khaleda) to do politics.”

He said, “Whether she (Khaleda) is in jail or out of jail, wherever she is, she must do politics. She is the most popular leader of this country and also ‘mother of democracy.’ So you (Awami League) don’t need to talk about this. She will take her own decision.”

If you (government) are interested so much on this issue then let Khaleda Zia released from jail unconditionally, said the BNP secretary general.

Chaired by Jatiyatabadi Tanti Dal convener Abu Kalam Azad, the programme was addressed, among others, by BNP central leader Advocate Abdus Salam Azad, ABM Mosharraf Hossain and GM Siraj.