Central leaders of BNP were forced to leave the dais at the grand rally at Naya Paltan due to the fumes of the tear gas fired by police and the deafening noise of sound grenades. It wasn't possible for anyone to remain at the rally venue due to the tear gas. This was the situation at Naya Paltan at 3:00 in the afternoon on Saturday.
By 3:30 pm the entire rally venue at Naya Paltan was vacant. Police took full control of the area.
Earlier at around 2:00 in the afternoon, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir addressed the party leaders and activists, telling them not to react to anyone's instigation and to take position at the rally. He said the government was out to disrupt their peaceful rally.
As Mirza Fakhrul was speaking, tear gas fumes came from the direction of Kakrail, but the grand rally continued. Dhaka city south BNP convener Abdus Salam told the leaders and activists of the party, do not let a few noisy crackers scare you. If they open fire, so be it.
BNP leader Selima Rahman then addressed the rally. After she spoke, BNP standing committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury began speaking. Towards the end of his speech the microphone shut down. It was then 2:30pm. Before that he had said, they are opening fire on a peaceful rally.
While Amir Khasru was speaking, there were deafening noises. The noises coming from Kakrail stirred the up the crowds in the rally. The tear gas fumes them came towards the dais at the front of the rally. At 2:45pm a blood-spattered person was brought in front of the BNP stage. Agitation broke out. BNP leader Nipun Roy, Aminul Huq, Ishraq Hossain and other leaders and activists marched towards Kakrail, sticks in hand. By then the entire rally venue was clouded over with tear gas. The leaders and activists were forced to gradually leave the dais.
Even at 3:45pm there were deafening noises of sound grenades coming from Shantinagar.