Three associate bodies of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) -- Jubo Dal, Swechchhasebak Dal and Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal -- will hold a “massive” youth rally at Naya Paltan in the capital on Wednesday, with the expected participation of at least “15 lakhs (1.5 million) youth”.
Youths from Dhaka, Sylhet, Faridpur and Mymensingh will attend the rally to ensure its success, Swechchhasebak Dal president SM Jilani said.
BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman will virtually join the rally as the chief guest and present the party’s political outline and future strategy to the country’s young generation, he said.
Senior BNP leaders, including standing committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Abdul Moyeen Khan, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury and Salahuddin Ahmed, are also scheduled to address the rally.
“We witnessed a huge gathering of youths at our Chattogram rally. Our targets in Khulna and Bogura have been fully achieved, drawing the attention of youths from all walks of life. We expect that at least 15 lakh (1.5 million) young people will join our Dhaka rally, breaking all previous records,” he said at a press briefing on Monday.
“Youths are eagerly waiting to join the rally... by making the rally successful with their spontaneous support, the youth, who have been deprived of their voting rights for 17 years, will highlight their prime demand for the restoration of democracy,” Jilani said.
With this rally, he said, they will take a step forward in the ongoing movement for restoring the youths’ voting rights under the leadership of Tarique Rahman.
Earlier, on 28 April, the three BNP associate bodies announced their plans to hold four seminars and four rallies involving youths from 10 divisions, with the aim of empowering them to help build a just state structure.
Their programme, which began on 9 May in Chattogram, will conclude in Dhaka today, Wednesday.
They also held seminars and rallies in Khulna and Bogura.