BNP to stage demo Tuesday

Leaders and activists of BNP and its affiliated bodies will stage demonstrations across the country on Tuesday demanding the release of its chairperson Khaleda Zia from jail, reports UNB.

The party also rescheduled its Monday’s planned rally at Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital for 29 March as the Dhaka Metropolitan Police authorities did not respond to its application seeking permission for the programme.

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir came up with the announcement at a press conference at the party’s Nayapaltan central office on Monday.

He said their party’s all district and metropolitan city units will demonstrate Tuesday seeking their chairperson Khaleda Zia’s release from jail.

In the capital, Fakhrul said the similar programme will also be observed at every thana on the same ground.

He said though they had a schedule to hold rally at Suhrawardy Udyan on Monday, the DMP authorities did not give them permission to hold it.

The BNP leader hoped that the authorities concerned will allow them to hold the rally on 29 March.

He said a BNP delegation went to the DMP office on Sunday, but no one of the police authorities met them.

“I personally phoned at least 10 times the DMP authorities, but they didn’t receive it. So, now we’ve decided to hold the rally on 29 March.”

Fakhrul alleged that the government is trying to provoke BNP so that they change their stance of peaceful movement. But we won’t get provoked. We can assure you we won’t fall into the government’s trap.”

He called upon the people of all walks of life, parties and social organisations to get united to overcome the current political crisis. “There’s no alternative to forging a national unity to face the current awful situation.

BNP standing committee members Mirza Abbas, Nazrul Islam Khan, vice chairmen Abdul Awal Mintoo, AZM Zahid Hossain and BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi were, among others, present.

Earlier on 12 March, BNP had announced to hold the rally at Suhrawardy Udyan on March 19, having failed to get permission to hold the similar programme on that day.

On 2 March, BNP first announced to hold a rally at Suhrawardy Udyan on 12 March, demanding the release of its chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia from jail.

The DMP authorities, however, informed BNP on 11 March that they could not permit the party to hold its rally on security grounds.