'Withdraw suspension order on BGEF chief'

At a press conference at the National Press Club in the city, the federation leaders also urged the government to meet their 11-point demand announced at a representatives' conference on June 3.

Terming the suspension order 'illegal', they alleged that the federation president was suspended without any specific allegation.

They said two presidents and one secretary general of its front organisations were also suspended and around 20 leaders transferred to other departments after the present government came to power.

Addressing the press conference, federation President Suraiya Akhter said prior to the suspension, a departmental case was lodged against her and without proving the allegations, another case was lodged charging her with disobeying the order to join her new office.

As per government rule an employee should be transferred to nearest offices, but she was first transferred to Sunamganj and then to Manikganj, said Suraiya, an employee of the family planning department, adding, " We are the employees of the republic, not the government."

At the press conference, a series of agitation programmes were also announced.

The programmes included human chain in the capital on August 5, rally on the premises of Azimpur family planning directorate in the city and at all deputy commissioners' (DC) and upazila nirbahi officers' (UNO) offices on August 10, 21 and 28 and a grand rally at Paltan Maidan in the city on September 23.

Lutfor Rahman, acting president of the central working committee of the federation, and Abdur Rahman, secretary general, also spoke on the occasion.