BNP, allies to hold rallies, marches throughout July
Bangladesh National Party will organise rallies, marches and road marches throughout July as part of a final preparation of the one-point demand to oust the government, party insiders have said.
The party will hold six rallies and six marches outside Dhaka. More programmes will be announced for Dhaka after Eid-ul-Azha to be celebrated on 29 June.
Gonotantra Mancha will also organise separate rallies and road marches.
BNP may reach a consensus with its like-minded parties and allies of simultaneous movement on a 'joint declaration' or political agreement in July, which was stuck for a long time.
Reliable sources said BNP is supposed to hold a meeting with Ganatantra Mancha in the first week of July. The date of joint declaration and new programmes of simultaneous movement will be finalised at the meeting. If everything goes well, BNP and alliance partners will resume the simultaneous movement.
Ganatantra Mancha, an alliance of six parties, however, planned to hold a number of programmes, sources at the alliance have said. They will organise road marches from Dhaka to Chattogram on 19, 20 and 21 July. Earlier, they will hold a rally in Barishal on 17 July. Ahead of that, they are supposed to hold marches in several districts including Dhaka. They will hold a meeting over the matter on 4 July.
Ganatantra Mancha top leader and Ganosamhati Andolon chief coordinator Zonayed Saki said, "There are still some differences on the joint declaration, we are continuing discussion on it. On the basis of consensus, we will go for the joint declaration."
Sources concerned said partners of Ganatantra Mancha eye 'joint declaration' at this moment as they had a misunderstanding with BNP over the joint declaration. They also distanced themselves from the BNP over the simultaneous programmes.
Speaking to Prothom Alo about the matter, Ganatantra Mancha top leader and Ganosamhati Andolon chief coordinator Zonayed Saki said, "There are still some differences on the joint declaration, we are continuing discussion on it. On the basis of consensus, we will go for the joint declaration."
Most of the BNP's programmes will be organised individually till July. The top leadership is giving importance to the students, Jubo and Sramik organisations.
BNP policymakers said they think students, Jubo and Sramik Dal organisations are comparatively weak. BNP top leadership wants those three organisations to play key roles during the movement in the days ahead. BNP organised youth rallies of Chhatra Dal, Jubo Dal and Swechhasebok. Dal Sramik Dal has also taken separate programmes.
It is learnt Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal will hold six rallies individually in six cities except Dhaka. They will hold their first rally on 14 July. They will hold rallies in Gazipur, Narayanganj, Khulna, Barishal and Mymensingh in phases.
Sramik Dal central publicity and publication secretary Manjurul Islam said they have already held the preparatory meetings for rallies except Khulna.
Four associate bodies-Krishak Dal, Sramik Dal, Matsyajibi Dal and Tanti Dal have planned to hold marches in four organisational divisions. They have named this a march of Krishak-Sramik- Matsyajibi-Tanti workers. This march will begin from Noakhali on 15 July, in Dinajpur on 19 July, in Rajshahi on 28 July, in Jashore on 5 August, in Habiganj on 22 August and in Barishal on 19 August.
BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi made this disclosure at a press conference at the BNP's central office in Naya Paltan on Tuesday.
Bangladesh Road Transport Federation joint general secretary Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas, Sramik Dal president Amwar Hossain and central leader Manjurul Islam were present.
Youth rallies kicked off from Chattogram on 14 June to engage young people in the movement and it will end with a rally in Dhaka.
The youth rally was also held in Barishal. Youth rallies will be held on 9 July in Sylhet and 17 July in Khulna ahead of the rally in Dhaka. Meanwhile, a 'woman's rally' is supposed to be held in Dhaka.
Speaking to Prothom Alo, BNP standing committee member Selima Rahman said BNP has a number of programmes in July. There is a plan of holding a 'women's rally'. But the date has not been fixed and it depends on other programmes, she added.
Party sources said the programmes of July have been taken as a part of preparation to engage people ahead of the final movement. The movement will be taken to the final stage in August. However, the BNP leaders are not saying anything about the matter.
BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said they will announce the one-point demand formally soon.
*This report, originally published in Prothom Alo print and online editions, has been rewritten in English by Rabiul Islam.