Police ask for names of alternative venues, BNP adamant

While opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) plans to organise their grand rally at Naya Paltan in the capital on 28 October, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) requested them to propose two alternative venues for the rally.

On behalf of the DMP authorities, Paltan Model police station officer-in-charge Md Salauddin Mia sent a letter to BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi seeking information on six more issues.

BNP, however, remains adamant that it would organise the rally at Naya Paltan.

The other issues include the approximate number of people to gather at the rally, its time and space, places where loudspeakers to be installed, and if anyone from any other party will be present at the rally.

Speaking to Prothom Alo about the DMP letter requesting the BNP to find alternative venues, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Thursday said, “The BNP will organise the rally at Naya Paltan. This has been informed to the police in writing.”

As a countermeasure to the BNP rally, ruling Awami League sent a letter to the police seeking its permission to organise a ‘peace and development’ rally at the south gate of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque on the same date, 28 October.

The police on Wednesday sent a letter to AL too, asking for the names of two more alternative venues for the rally. AL, however, is yet to respond to the letter.

The police put foward “public safety” as the reason for seeking two alternative venues.