BNP holds rallies in Dhaka, other cities today 

BNP flagProthom Alo illustration

Ruling Awami League and de facto opposition BNP have once again come up with counter-programmes heating up the country’s political arena. 

BNP is scheduled to hold rallies in Dhaka and nine other key cities across the country today, Saturday while Awami League expanded its counter-rallies from Dhaka to two other divisional cities – Khulna and Rangpur. 

The BNP programme is part of the simultaneous movement undertaken by the anti-regime parties. BNP has reportedly taken extensive measures to hold large gatherings in its 10 divisional (organisational) cities. All the rallies will commence at 2:00pm. 

Other like-minded parties will also hold similar programmes across the country, protesting the provocative counter-rally by the ruling party, demanding reduction in electricity, gas and other essentials’ prices, resignation of the government and meeting the previously announced 10-point demand. 

It is the fifth programme under the simultaneous movement, following mass procession, mass sitting, and demonstration. Leaders of protesting parties said the new course of movement is likely to be announced today. 

A number of responsible BNP leaders said their senior leaders, in light of the experience of the party’s recent four-day-march programme in Dhaka, believe the current course of movement to be effectively public-oriented. 

Now, a proposal came for holding a simultaneous programme of public march at the district level, they said, adding it is likely to commence from 18 February. 

Meanwhile, the seven-party Ganatantra Mancha is planning to hold a public march from Mirpur to Old Dhaka in the capital. The alliance leaders said they would conduct mass campaigns and street rallies at different spots across Dhaka city. 

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir will address the Dhaka rally while other senior leaders will attend the other divisional rallies as per the central instruction. Also, the BNP executive committee members have been directed to attend the divisional rallies in their respective regions.  

BNP standing committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury said his party will continue holding programmes that involve the public. 

Mahmudur Rahman Manna, a top leader of Ganatantra Mancha and president of Nagorik Oikya, told Prothom Alo, “We are preparing for a larger movement aimed at toppling the current regime. We hope that a larger movement will emerge from the field.”

Meanwhile, Awami League joint general secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif dissented from the view that their rallies came in counter to the BNP programmes. 

He said, “BNP is trying to create confusion by presenting false information about the development and progress of the government. This is why we, as a party, are holding the programmes to bring out the correct information.”

However, Jamaat-e-Islami, a long-time ally of BNP, has no programme today. Rather, it will hold demonstrations in Dhaka and other districts on 11 February, protesting ‘aggression’ in the education system and demanding elections under a caretaker government.