Dhaka, Sep 02: Bangladeshi Prime Minister Khaleda Zia led thousands of supporters yesterday in a rally through Dhaka to celebrate the 25th anniversary of her party's founding, urging them to unite against the arch-rival main Opposition. Zia led a march of cheering supporters from a jeep and released multi-coloured balloons to mark the founding of her Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) 25 years ago by President Ziaur Rahman, her slain husband.

"Today we have to pledge to strengthen our party as one party is conspiring (against the government) and resorting to criminal activities as they have realised they have no popularity," Zia said.
"We have to face them politically and foil any conspiracy."

The Opposition leader Sheikh Hasina Wajed said that the strike would also voice opposition to "the government's conspiracy to export our only natural resource -- natural gas."


The new US ambassador to Dhaka, Harry K Thomas, yesterday held his maiden meeting with Sheikh Hasina at which the envoy said the export of gas was among the issues discussed.
"We offered all our cooperation for strengthening democracy and improving law in order in Bangladesh," Thomas said after the talks, adding that both the United States and Bangladesh believed "democracy and non-violence" were the ways to resolve political issues.

Earlier yesterday, Zia, her family and party leaders placed wreaths at the grave of President Rahman, who was killed in an abortive coup in 1981.
Bureau Report