BNP demands withdrawal of restriction on political programmes

Expressing wonder over the Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s (DMP) instruction on avoiding political programmes between 17 March and 26 March on the occasion of the golden jubilee of independence, BNP on Monday demanded the withdrawal of such a restriction, reports UNB.

“The acting DMP commissioner’s instruction (on political programmes) has surprised us! Our programmes have no confrontation with the government’s ones,” said BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

Speaking at a press conference at BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office, he said, “We urge the DMP to withdraw its instruction and not to create any obstacle to the golden jubilee programmes of political parties and social organisations.

On Sunday, DMP acting commissioner Monirul Islam urged all political parties and socio-cultural groups to withdraw their scheduled programmes between 17 March and 26 March for successful holding of a 10-day celebration of the golden jubilee of Bangladesh’s independence and the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

He also warned that it will be considered as an “anti-state” move if any political party and organisation tries to hold any programme during the period ignoring the instruction.

Fakhrul sought an explanation from the DMP acting commissioner about how the golden jubilee celebration programmes by political parties can be “anti-state” ones. “We can’t understand how they (govt) think no one, except them, can celebrate the golden jubilee of the independence.”

He said it is obvious that there would be state programmes to celebrate the event with the presence of the foreign guests. “We’ll definitely extend cooperation as much as possible in this regard.”

Fakhrul said their party’s rally scheduled to be held on Tuesday in the south city corporation area have been postponed due to police obstruction and the illness of Ishraq Hossain, BNP’s defeated mayoral candidate in Dhaka South City Corporation election.

Earlier, the party held similar rallies in five city corporation areas -- Khulna, Rajshahi, Barishal, Chattogram and Dhaka North — protesting the election irregularities and demanding a credible national election under a non-party neutral government.