The BNP will hold a grand rally in the capital on Thursday (July 27) to press home their one-point demand for the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to pave the way for holding the next national election under a neutral government.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced the programme while addressing a mammoth ‘youth rally’ at historic Suhrawardy Udyan on Saturday.
He said the rally will be held in the capital at 2pm as part of their simultaneous movement.
Fakhrul, however, did not mention the name of the rally venue.
“A peaceful grand rally will be held in Dhaka on Thursday (July 27) at 2 pm…We have to keep in mind that we are fighting to build a new Bangladesh and restore the right to vote,” he said.
The BNP leader called upon people from all walks of life to join the rally spontaneously to hasten the fall of the current regime.
He also urged the youth to wake up to save the country and its people. “We’ll establish a people's government by defeating this regime and this’s our pledge today."
Alongside the BNP, like-minded parties and alliances, including Ganatantra Mancha, 12-party alliance, Jatiyatabadi Samomona Jote, the Liberal Democratic Party, Gonoforum and People’s Party, Labour Party, Gono Odhikar Parishad Gonotantrik Bam Oikya and Nationalist Democratic Party also separately announced to hold rallies on the same day in different parts of the country.
Read: BNP’s ‘youth rally’ underway at Suhrawardy Udyan with huge crowds
On July 12, Mirza Fakhrul formally announced their ‘one-point’ movement. As part of the first programme to realise the one-point demand, the BNP and the other opposition parties and alliances observed a countrywide two-day march programme on July 18 and 19.
The opposition’s one-point demand includes the resignation of the current ‘fascist, authoritarian, people’s vote looter and illegal’ Awami League government, dissolution of the existing parliament, formation of the polls-time impartial government and reconstitution of the Election Commission for arranging a free, fair and inclusive election, the release of all political prisoners, including BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, withdrawal of all falls and ghost cases, including those against Tarique Rahman, and annulment of all false convictions.
The youth rally arranged by three BNP associate bodies--Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal, Chhatra Dal, and Swechchasebak Dal--formally began around 3:28pm with the recitation from the holy Quran.
The main objective of the programme was to involve the young generation in the street movement to establish their rights.
The rally started 90 minutes late as the makeshift stage set up for the programme collapsed apparently due to extra load, leaving 10 people, including some journalists injured.
Read: Stage collapses at BNP’s Suhrawardy Udyan youth rally
The incident occurred when Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal President Sultan Salahuddin Tuku was formally opening the rally around 1:50pm
Later, a temporary stage was set up on a pick-up van while party activists with the help of the employees of the decoration company repaired the cracked one.
Youth leaders and activists from various parts of Dhaka wearing different coloured caps and carrying banners, festoons, placards and portraits of the party’s top leaders started gathering at the venue in processions in the morning.
Apart from the main rally venue, the BNP loyalists took a position on the nearby roads, disrupting traffic in the adjoining areas.
A large number of members of law enforcement agencies have been deployed around the rally venue to fend off any untoward incident.
The three organizations earlier held five youth rallies and got a huge response from the young people.
Read more: BNP's Milon hands agriculture minister leaflet of one-point demand
On June 2, three BNP associate bodies announced six youth rallies in Chattogram, Bogura, Khulna, Barishal, Sylhet, and Dhaka to drum up the young generation’s support for the ongoing movement demanding holding the next polls under a caretaker government.