BNP’s first election rally begins in Sylhet

The first election rally of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has begun at Alia Madrasah grounds in Sylhet city. The rally started with recitations from the holy Quran at 10:50 am on Thursday.

Following this, local BNP leaders started their speeches. Earlier, leaders and activists of BNP began joining the party’s first election rally, arriving in separate processions.

The party’s chairman, Tarique Rahman, will deliver the main speech around 11:00 am.

Many leaders and activists spent last night on one side of the Alia Madrasah grounds under makeshift tents and on tarpaulin. Leaders and activists from different areas of Sylhet began arriving at the rally site from early morning Thursday.

Ubaydullah Faruq, central president of the party’s ally, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Bangladesh, joined the rally with a procession around 8:30 am. Party activists entering the venue chanted slogans of “Khejur Gachh, Khejur Gachh (date palm).”

Fakhrul Islam, a resident of Kanaighat who joined the procession, said they came to Sylhet city last night on six to seven buses. They gathered at Sobhanighat area early in the morning before arriving at the rally site.

Mamunur Rashid, also present in the procession, said the alliance candidate for Sylhet-5, Ubaydullah Faruq, joined in the morning.

Leaders and activists of BNP and its affiliated organisations have also arrived at the rally from different upazilas of Sylhet.

Eight youths wearing yellow caps were standing at the venue around 8:00 am. Among them, Mobarak Mia, a resident of Rampur village in Jamalganj, Sunamganj, said they came on behalf of Kamruzzaman Kamrul, the candidate for Sunamganj-1. They were accompanied by over 500 leaders, activists, and supporters.

Syed Shamsul Islam, president of BNP in Sharifganj union of Golapganj upazila, Sylhet, said they arrived at the rally with over 300 leaders and activists.

BNP leaders and activists came to the rally wearing t-shirts of a uniform colour with the party’s symbol, “Dhaner Shish (sheaf of paddy),” t-shirts with Tarique Rahman’s photo, along with party banners, festoons, and pictures of party leaders from different districts of Sylhet.

The rally has been organised by Sylhet district and metropolitan BNP and Sunamganj district BNP to mark the 13th parliamentary election. Tarique Rahman, the party chairman, will deliver the main speech at BNP’s first election rally ahead of the parliamentary election scheduled for 12 February.

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, BNP’s secretary general, will attend the rally as a special guest. The rally will be chaired by Sylhet district BNP president Abdul Kaiyum Chowdhury.

Tarique Rahman arrived in Sylhet by air around 8:00 pm yesterday, Wednesday. He visited the shrines of Hazrat Shahjalal (RA) and Hazrat Shah Paran (RA), and also paid respects at the grave of MAG Osmani, the supreme commander of the Liberation War, at Hazrat Shahjalal Dargah.

Later, he went to his in-law’s house in Biraimpur village, South Surma upazila, on the outskirts of the city and addressed the leaders, activists, and local residents present.

Before that, a prayer session was held for the departed souls of BNP’s late chairperson Khaleda Zia and members of Zubaida Rahman’s family. After spending some time at the in-law’s house, Tarique Rahman returned to a hotel near Sylhet airport.