United News of Bangladesh

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman joined a roadside rally at Lakshmipur Bazar ground in Barura upazila of Cumilla on Saturday while travelling to Chandpur on his first visit to the district as head of government. The Prime Minister arrived at the rally venue around 1:20 pm. As he stepped onto the stage, leaders and activists welcomed him with loud applause and cheers. Tarique waved to the crowd in response to their greetings. His Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Rumon said, “Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is going to Chandpur. On the way, he is taking part in this roadside rally and will deliver a brief speech here.” Party leaders, activists and supporters started gathering at Lakshmipur Bazar ground from around 9am in small processions carrying banners and festoons. By 10:30am, the roadside rally turned into a large gathering with the presence of thousands of leaders and activists. Earlier in the morning, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman left Dhaka for Chandpur by road from his Gulshan residence at around 8:45am. During the Chandpur visit, he is scheduled to inaugurate the re-excavation work of two canals, address a public rally at Chandpur Government College ground, distribute Family Cards and attend an organisational meeting with local BNP leaders and activists. This is Tarique Rahman’s first visit to Chandpur as Prime Minister and his first trip to the district in 22 years. He last visited Chandpur in 2004 when he served as Senior Joint Secretary General of BNP.

Thousands of leaders and activists of BNP and its associate bodies joined the party’s divisional rally in Cumilla on Saturday morning, amid relative ease with no transport strike this time. Cumilla city unit of BNP arranged the rally that formally began at 11:05am at Cumilla Town Hall ground. The rally venue has been teeming with opposition leaders and activists since morning as they gathered there from different upazilas of Cumilla and adjoining districts, including Brahmanbaria and Chandpur. Unlike the party’s previous rallies in other divisions, BNP leaders and followers faced less hassles in Cumilla to join the programme as no transport strike has been enforced here. The rally in Cumilla is the 8th by BNP at the divisional level after others were held in Chattogram, Mymensingh, Khulna, Rangpur, Barishal, Faridpur and Sylhet. An adequate number of police and security officials have been deployed around the rally venue and at different points of the town to prevent any untoward incident. Read more: BNP's Cumilla rally set to take place amid relative ease The organisers said the rally was meant to denounce the price hike of daily essentials and fuel, the death of five party activists in police action in Bhola, Narayanganj, Munshiganj, Brahmanbaria and Jashore, and to ensure the freedom of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia. BNP has long been demanding that the next general election be held under a caretaker government, not under any political government – a demand rejected by the ruling Awami League as the constitution does not allow it. Read more: BNP to avoid AL's trap over December-10 rally: Gayeshwar