Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s move to force journalists — covering today’s rally in Rajshahi — to put on press cards with photos of BNP’s top leaders has triggered a wave of criticism from local journalists.

Ahead of the party’s rally, the press cards were being distributed yesterday among journalists and they were told to enter the venue wearing the cards.

Enraged by the condition, some journalists even took to social media, raising objections at Tarique Rahman’s photo being used on the press card, as he is a “convicted fugitive”.

Rafiqul Islam, president of Rajshahi Journalists Union, told journalists that “unlike rallies held by other parties, this instruction of making a party card mandatory for journos is really humiliating.”

Read: Locals complain of internet service disruption around BNP rally venue in Rajshahi

The press card contains photos of General Ziaur Rahman, founder of BNP, party chairperson Khaleda Zia and acting  chairman Tarique Rahman.

Tarique, who now lives in London, has been convicted in a number of cases.

Referring to this use of photos of party leaders, Rafiqul said, “This is completely unacceptable for journalists to use this card to cover the event.”

Tarique Rahman was sentenced to life in prison over the heinous August 21, 2004 grenade attack — launched on an Awami League rally to annihilate the party’s leadership, including the then opposition leader and current PM Sheikh Hasina.

Read: BNP’s Rajshahi rally begins with a huge turnout

An FBI official testified in the money laundering cases against Tarique. The acting chief of BNP has also been accused of instigating mobs in Bangladesh to carry out grisly arson attacks in 2013 that killed many after his party boycotted the election.