Leaders of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Monday expressed concern over instructions of Dhaka Metropolitan Police on holding rallies and programmes in Dhaka and demanded an immediate withdrawal of it.
The DMP acting commissioner Monirul Islam on Sunday urged all political parties and socio-cultural organisations to withdraw their scheduled programme between March 17 and March 26 to help in the successful staging of a 10-day celebration of the golden jubilee of Bangladesh’s independence and the birth centenary of the country’s founding president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, beginning from March 17.
BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir at a press conference at Gulshan office of the party chairperson expressed concern over the instructions given by the acting DMP commissioner and said that there was no confrontation with the programmes of the government and the party programmes.
‘The will do their programmes and we shall hold our programmes’ Fakhrul said.
Fakhrul requested the authorities concerned to withdraw the instructions and not create any barrier holding golden jubilee programmes by political parties and other organisations.
Fakrul criticised Monirul for terming their programmes anti-national and sought an explanation from him.
Referring to the issue of the government’s state programmes taken from March 17 to 26, Fakhrul said they would co-operate with the government in hosting the foreign guests and holding the programmes.
Fakhrul said BNP is a political party of the freedom fighters and it believed in the spirits of the liberation war.
BNP also believes in democracy and democratic rule, which has been destroyed by the Awami League government, Fakhrul said.
Replying to a question, Fakhrul said that Jatiya Muktijoddha Council had no power to cancel the gallantry award of freedom fighter Ziaur Rahman.
If the government does so that will be against the spirit of the liberation war, Fakhrul said.
Dhaka City South unit of BNP has postponed its prescheduled rally in Dhaka on Wednesday.
BNP leader and defeated mayor candidate Ishraque Hossain fell sick prompting the party unit to postpone its programme, Fakhrul said.
BNP sub-committee of golden jubilee observation committee of liberation war organised the press conference, where committee convener Khandaker Mossarraf Hossain chaired.
Member secretary of the committee Abdus Salam, sub-committee member secretary Abdul Hai Shikder and others attuned the press conference.
