BNP’s rally begins at Naya Paltan with huge turnout

Thousands of leaders and activists of BNP and its associate bodies are seen gathering in front of the party’s Nayapaltan office in Dhaka for their grand rally on Saturday. — Photo collected from BNP’s Facebook page

Bangladesh desk: The grand rally of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party has begun in front of its Naya Paltan central office with the participation of thousands of leaders and activists of the party and its associate bodies to press home their one-point demand for holding the upcoming national election under a non-party government.

The rally formally began at about 12:40pm on Saturday with the recitation from the holy Quran.

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir will address the programme as the chief guest and announce their next course of action to mount pressure on the current regime to accept the one-point demand that includes the resignation of the current regime and holding the next election under a neutral government.

Thousands of leaders and activists of the party and its associate bodies were seen gathering in front of the party’s Naya Paltan central office in Dhaka to attend the grand rally to mount pressure on the government to accept their one-point demand.

BNP activists started gathering in front of the party’s Naya Paltan headquarters in the morning amid the presence of a huge number of law enforcers.

Defying the senior leaders’ instructions, several thousand opposition activists thronged Naya Paltan on Friday afternoon in advance and stayed there overnight.

Visiting the rally venue around 9:00am on Saturday, thousands of opposition activists were seen coming from different parts of the city.

The roads and alleys stretching from Kakrail to Arambagh are filled to the brim with BNP activists, halting traffic in the area.

Many leaders and activists of the party alleged that they had to face checking and barricades by law enforcers at the entry points and several locations in Dhaka while presence of buses on the streets was very thin.

BNP’s Dhaka north and south city units are organising the rally to press home the opposition’s one-point demand for holding the upcoming national election under a non-party government.

Apart from BNP, other like-minded political parties and alliances have also made preparations to arrange separate rallies in different parts of the city to press home the one-point demand.

The ruling Awami League is also scheduled to hold a rally in front of the south gate of Baitul Mukarram mosque, which is 1.7 km away from BNP’s rally at Nayapaltan.

After taking much time, Dhaka Metropolitan Police finally gave Awami League and BNP permission on Friday evening to hold their rallies in the capital’s Baitul Mukarram’s South Gate and Naya Paltan respectively on 20 conditions.

All eyes will be on BNP’s rally as speculations are there that the party may announce tougher programmes like marching towards important government offices or laying siege to these offices in the capital.

Besides, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami also announced to hold a rally at Shapla Chattar. However, the party was not given permission for the programme, triggering an apprehension of violence and clashes with the law enforcers.

Alongside BNP, Ganatantra Mancha is scheduled to hold a rally in front of the Jatiya Press Club, while 12-party alliance at Bijoynagar, Jatiyatabadi Samomona Jote in front of Al Raji Complex at Purana Platan, Gonotantrik Bam Oikya in front of the Jatiya Press Club, Gonoforum and People’s Party at Arambagh, the Liberal Democratic Party at East Panthapath near FDC, Labour Party at Purana Platan, Gono Odhikar Parishad (Reza Kibria) at Culvert Road, Gono Odhikar Parishad (Nur) at Bijoynagar, AB Party at Bijoynagar, Sadharon Chhatra Odhikar Parishad at Shahbagh, Jatiyatabdai Peshajibi Parishad in front of the Jatiya Press Club and Nationalist Democratic Movement at Malibagh.

Earlier on October 18, BNP announced the grand rally in the capital for October 28 to start the ‘final phase’ of action and programmes of the ongoing movement against the current government.

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir at a press conference on Friday reaffirmed that their grand rally will be held peacefully.

The BNP leader also warned that the government would be held responsible if it makes any excesses or creates any obstacles to the rally.