The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Friday announced that the party and the other like-minded opposition political parties would hold sit-in programmes at all the Dhaka entry points on Saturday.
The party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, addressing the Naya Paltan grand rally as the chief guest on Friday afternoon, announced the new agitation programme to press home their one-point demand to resign the government and holding the upcoming general election under a neutral government.
He said that the opposition political parties would hold the sit-in programmes from 11:00am to 4:00pm on Saturday.
Senior leaders of the party said that they were ready for maximum sacrifice to restore democracy in the country and people’s voting rights.
BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman briefly addressed the BNP grand rally over a mobile phone.
When Tarique was addressing the rally, thousands of BNP leaders and activists attending the rally responded enthusiastically.
When Fakhrul began his speech at the rally, he told the audience that there was a surprise for the party leaders and activists before acting party chairman Tarique Rahman addressed the rally for eight minutes through a mobile phone.
During his speech, BNP leader Fakhrul said that the government had established a one-party rule in the country, destroying all state organs.
‘Every sector of the country has been destroyed today. Today, people have no rights. They have taken everything away,’ he said, adding that BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia brought back parliamentary democracy through a long movement. ‘She has been unjustly detained today. Her son, Tarique Rahman, is struggling to restore lost democracy in the country. He has also been deported on false cases,’ Fakhrul said.
Fakhrul said that they were also ready to sacrifice for restoring democracy.
The Friday’s grand rally of the main opposition political party began at the party’s central office at Naya Paltan in Dhaka minutes after 2:00pm on Friday.
Though the rally was scheduled to begin at 2:00pm, the party leaders and activists in hundreds began to arrive at the rally venue from early in the morning. Several thousand activists thronged Naya Paltan area on Thursday night and stayed there overnight.
Visiting the rally venue at about 11:30am on Friday, thousands of party leaders and activists from different parts of the city were seen arriving in processions.
Carrying banners, festoons, placards, and portraits of the party’s top leaders, they were shouting anti-government slogans.
Roads and alleys stretching from Bijaynagar, Naya Paltan, Fakirapool, Mothijeel, Kakrial, and Purana Paltan areas were crowded with BNP activists, halting traffic in the area as nearly two kilometres of streets were filled with BNP leaders and activists.
A brief spell of rain disrupted the rally shortly after it started around 2:00pm.
The leaders and activists again took positions on the road after the rain eased.
Various anti-government slogans were given from the main stage to keep the leaders and workers strong during the rain.
Many leaders and activists of the party alleged that they had to face checking by law enforcement agencies at the entry points of the capital.
The party made a big stage on nine trucks, rolled out red carpets, and installed loudspeakers.
Two separate stages were also erected for the cultural activists and journalists.
Artistes from the BNP's cultural body performed patriotic songs to keep the crowds invigorated under the scorching sun and rain.
BNP’s Dhaka south and north city units organised the rally to press home their one-point demand.
Apart from BNP, 37 like-minded political parties and alliances are also going to arrange separate rallies in different city areas to press home the one-point demand that includes the resignation of the Awami League government and holding the next election under a neutral government.
People’s lives have become miserable due to commodities prices, Fakhrul said, also mentioning electricity prices increase.
He also said that expatriates were sending remittances to the country with difficulty, and the government was looting their money and smuggling it abroad.
‘We need to build a prosperous Bangladesh. Thirty-six parties are protesting together for this. Apart from this, those who are here are all saying that no fair election is possible under them [Awami League]. We will form a national government with all parties involved in the movement. The judicial system that denied us justice will be reorganised,’ Fakhrul said.
This government wants to hold elections again using the judiciary and administration, as it has politicised every organ of the state, he said.
‘I want to tell the police administration that you will not act on the illegal orders of the illegal government. Obey the rule of law. Do not arrest anyone wrongly,’ he added.
Addressing the rally, BNP standing committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury said that no BNP leaders and activists would return home until democracy was restored.
‘Our 20 leaders and activists were killed in recent movements. We are not afraid of it. We must restore people’s rights to elect their leaders.
BNP standing committee member Mirza Abbas presided over the rally.
He said that his party would no longer seek police permission for party events, as a movement for ousting the government was not possible with the government’s permission.
