BNP plans to hold freedom fighters' rally on 25 March

BNP’s associate organisation Jatiyatabadi Muktijoddha Dal wants to organise a freedom fighters' rally in Dhaka marking the Independence Day.

Sources said the organisation has applied in writing to Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) commissioner seeking permission for the rally. The organisation wants to hold the rally on 25 March at Naya Paltan in the city.

Muktijoddha Dal’s general secretary Sadek Ahmed Khan told Prothom Alo, “We will hold the rally from 10:00am to 12 in the noon. This won’t be any big rally. Three representatives each from district and upazila units have been invited for the programme.”

Sources said, a joint meeting of BNP, Muktijoddha Dal, associate organisations and recently formed ‘Independence Day celebration committee will be held on Thursday to decide about the rally.

It can be mentioned that BNP has formed a 16-member committee to celebrate the independence day this year. Freedom fighter and party’s vice chairman major (retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed Bir Bikram was made coordinator and senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi member secretary of the committee.

BNP did not hold any rally in Dhaka since its grand rally on 28 October was foiled amid clashes and attacks. The party claimed that around 21,000 of its leaders-activists were arrested across the country centering that rally.

BNP sources said the decision to hold a rally in Dhaka was taken at a meeting of the party’s standing committee on Monday night. BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman joined the meeting virtually.

It has been learnt that BNP is planning to return to the streets again through the freedom fighters' rally.