BNP’s Dec 10 rally will be held in Dhaka: Mirza Fakhrul

Main opposition BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said the party’s pre-announced rally must be held in Dhaka on December 10.

“Our rally at Nayapaltan in Dhaka on December 10 will be held peacefully. It’s the government’s responsibility to assist BNP to held its rally peacefully. Otherwise, the government will have to bear its consequences,” he said.

Mirza Fakhrul was addressing an urgently convened press conference at BNP Chairperson’s political office at Gulshan in Dhaka on Thursday afternoon.

BNP has held mass rallies at nine divisional cities of the country to press home its demand of Khaleda Zia’s unconditional release and price hike of daily essentials.

According to its pre-announced schedule, the party will hold its grand rally in Dhaka on Saturday (December 10). Though divisional rallies were held peacefully, trouble occurs over the mass rally in Dhaka.

Though the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has accorded permission to BNP to hold its Dhaka rally at Suhrawardy Udyan on December 10, the party is adament to hold rally at Nayapaltan. Amid arguments and talks over the issue, a clash broke out between BNP and police in Dhaka on Wednesday. A person was killed and many were injured in the clash.

Besides, police arrested more than 300 leaders and workers of BNP including several mid-level leaders of the party conducting raid into the party’s central office at Nayapaltan.

The BNP leader believes that Suhrawardy Udyan is not suitable for holding a big rally due to the walls surrounding it and major installations.

However, Mirza Fakhrul said, “We will consider if the administration suggests any venue alternative to Nayapaltan. But, we prefer Nayapaltan as the venue. It is the government’s reponsibility so that we can hold our rally peacefully.”

Demanding immediate withdrawal of police from Nayapaltan, he also called for creating a favourable environment so that the BNP can hold its rally there.

The press conference was attended by BNP standing committee member Dr Khondker Mosharraf Hossain, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Mirza Abbas, Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan, Begum Selima Rahman, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, vice-chairman Dr AZM Zahid Hossain, organising secretary Syed Emran Saleh Prince, BNP leaders Sirajul Islam, Nazimuddin Khan, Zahiruddin Swapan, Taiful Islam Tipu, BNP chairperson’s media wing officials Shamsuddin Didar and Shyrul Kabir Khan, among others.