The BNP has stood firm to hold its 28 October grand rally at Naya Paltan in Dhaka, while the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) is planning to fix a venue considering the extent of gathering.
Speaking at a discussion on Wednesday, BNP standing committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy said, "Our message is straight, we will hold the rally at the intended place (Naya Paltan). Where does the constitution stipulate us to seek permission from the police to hold a rally?"
Meanwhile at a press briefing at Naya Paltan, BNP joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi echoed the remark and said their preparations for a grand rally in front of the party headquarters are nearly complete.
"This (Naya Paltan) is the suitable place for us, and we have organised many peaceful rallies here," he added.
Rizvi also noted that the grand rally would be a historic and unprecedented gathering, with participation of the people across the country. Despite ongoing state-sponsored assaults and suppression, people are determined to come to Dhaka, defying mass arrests.
He castigated the police statement that the BNP must hold its rally only where the DMP permits. He said the statement implies that the people of Bangladesh have been subjugated. Everything, including political activities and the expression of views, now depends on police clearance.
During the discussion at the Bangladesh Shishu Kalyan Parishad, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy urged the police force not to stir a fresh debate over the venue.
He said, "We have conducted each of our programmes in a democratic manner and will continue to do so. Some officials of the police force make excess comments. I would urge senior officials to leave political debates to politicians and avoid getting involved in them."
"If you, under political consideration, deliver a decision on where we can hold a rally, and where we can't, we are not obliged to comply with it. Where does the constitution stipulate us to seek permission from the police to hold a rally?" he added.
