Thousands of leaders and activists of three associate bodies of the BNP -- Jubo Dal, Swechchhasebak Dal and Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal -- have gathered at Nayapaltan to join a youth rally.
Youths from Dhaka, Sylhet, Faridpur and Mymensingh have joined the rally in processions to ensure its success.
Many are wearing green, yellow, and red caps and T-shirts, and chanting various party slogans.
A stage has been set up for the rally opposite the BNP's central office at Nayapaltan.
No vehicles are moving on the road in front of the stage, causing traffic congestion on the adjacent roads.
Some Dhaka areas including Shahbagh, Nayapaltan, Kakrail, Motijheel, Moghbazar, Shantinagar, Malibagh, Bijoynagar, Fakirapool are experiencing severe traffic congestion.
BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman will virtually join the rally as the chief guest and present the party’s political outline and future strategy to the country’s young generation, he said.
Senior BNP leaders, including Standing Committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Abdul Moyeen Khan, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury and Salahuddin Ahmed, are also scheduled to address the rally.
3 BNP bodies set to hold ‘massive’ youth rally in Dhaka this afternoon
“We witnessed a huge gathering of youths at our Chattogram rally. Our targets in Khulna and Bogura have been fully achieved, drawing the attention of youths from all walks of life. We expect that at least 15 lakh young people will join our Dhaka rally, breaking all previous records,” he said at a press briefing on Monday.
“Youths are eagerly waiting to join the rally... by making the rally successful with their spontaneous support, the youth, who have been deprived of their voting rights for 17 years, will highlight their prime demand for the restoration of democracy,” Jilani said.
With this rally, he said, they will take a step forward in the ongoing movement for restoring the youths’ voting rights under the leadership of Tarique Rahman.
Earlier, on April 28, the three BNP associate bodies announced their plans to hold four seminars and four rallies involving youths from 10 divisions, with the aim of empowering them to help build a just state structure.
Their programme, which began on May 9 in Chattogram, will conclude in Dhaka today(Wednesday).
They also held seminars and rallies in Khulna and Bogura.