The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is going to hold its first rally in the capital today after six months with an aim to rejuvenate the party’s organisational activities that have been stalled after its attempt to foil the last general election failed.
The BNP, which boycotted the 12th parliamentary elections, has convened the rally, demanding unconditional release of its convicted chairperson Khaleda Zia, withdrawal of all cases against its acting chairperson Tarique Rahman and release of other jailed party leaders.
The central leaders expect that leaders and activists of all tiers of the BNP and associated bodies will take part in the rally to be held at 3:00pm in front of its Nayapaltan office.
BNP standing committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy will attend the meeting as chief guest.
A three-member delegation of the BNP on Thursday went to the Dhaka Metropolitan Police and sought permission for holding the rally in front of its central office at Nayapaltan.
But the DMP is yet to grant permission for the rally till filing the report at 8:30pm.
The BNP, which remains out of power since 2007 after a political changeover, held its last rally in the capital on October 28. But the rally was postponed at a halfway after its leaders and activists were locked in a violent clashes with law enforcement agencies.
Even the BNP activists made an attack on the house of the Chief Justice.
On that day, several vehicles and a police box were torched while over a dozen of vehicles were vandalised during the clashes that took place in Kakrail, Nayapaltan, Bijoynagar, Malibagh, Arambagh areas and near Matsya Bhaban.
The streets in those areas were strewn with brick chips and the air was thick with smoke as law enforcers lobbed hundreds of teargas shells, threw sound grenades and used firearms to disperse the BNP leaders and activists who had gathered at Nayapaltan and adjacent areas since morning.
Dozens of people, including members of law enforcement agencies, BNP activists and journalists, were injured in the pitched battles.
BNP insiders say that they will hold the rally to press the government for freeing its chairperson Khaleda Zia and other jailed party leaders.
BNP Dhaka south city unit convener Abdus Salam told reporters that they are hopeful of getting the permission for the rally.
Over the permission for the rally, DMP additional Police Commissioner Khandaker Mahi Uddin told reporters that the BNP will get permission for holding the rally on Friday on some conditions.
“We usually do not bar political parties from holding any peaceful programme. We put some conditions so that such political programmes cannot create any public affliction. BNP can hold the programme on condition that it will not create any public sufferings. One portion of the road must be free for plying vehicles,” he said.
