Verdict on caretaker government biased, unacceptable: Khaleda Zia

Terming the Supreme Court verdict over the caretaker government system ‘biased’ and ‘unacceptable’, BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia on Thursday reiterated that the next general election must be held under a non-partisan caretaker government.

“If the government doesn’t restore the caretaker government system, there’ll be no election. The biased Supreme Court verdict on the caretaker government system can’t stop our movement,” she said.

The opposition leader was addressing a press conference at her Gulshan office to brief the media about the BNP-led 18-party alliance’s views on the full text of the verdict, released on Sunday.

She claimed that the Supreme Court verdict on the constitution's 13th amendment pronounced by former Chief Justice Khairul Haque on May 10 has been "distorted" in its full text.

Khaleda said the vivid difference between the full text and short verdict is unprecedented. “We strongly condemn such behaviour of the former chief justice. It’s a serious judicial misconduct. There’s political ill-motive behind it.”

Khaleda said such a bad example has not only undermined the judiciary but also the people of the whole country.

She said the direction in the verdict about an interim government for holding the election under a small cabinet is the reflection of the Prime Minister’s speech. The verdict was delivered as per the Prime Minister’s advice.

Khaleda warned that the verdict may lead the country towards instability.

“People won’t accept the politically motivated, illogical and self-contradictory verdict and won’t participate in any election to be arranged in light of the verdict.

There’s no alternative to a non-party caretaker government to protect the people’s right to franchise. Pro-democratic people won’t participate in any election under any partisan government,” she asserted.