Dhaka’s Nayapaltan turned into a battlefield following clashes between BNP men and members of the law enforcement agencies on Saturday (October 28, 2023) afternoon centering the party’s scheduled rally. Following the clashes, the grand rally of the BNP was suspended halfway through the programme. At one stage of the clashes, BNP central leaders including its Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir left the stage and entered the party office in Nayapaltan. Read: BNP's oust-govt movement boud to fail: PM Hasina tells huge rally in Anwara Before leaving the stage, Fakhrul called a dawn to dusk hartal across the country for tomorrow (October 29, 2023). Members of the law enforcement agencies a reportedly used sound grenades and tear shells to disperse BNP men who retaliated with brickbats. The clash was going on as of filing this report at 3:20 pm, UNB correspondent reported from the spot. Read: Leaders, activists have started gathering at Baitul Mukarram South Gate for AL’s Peace Rally Chased by the police, the BNP men took position in different alleys and streets in Nayapaltan area from there they were pelting brickbats, stones and other objects targeting police and others. Read more: BNP calls countrywide hartal tomorrow 

BNP has announced a dawn-to-dusk hartal across the country to protest “police attacks” on their leaders and activists and their grand rally at Nayapaltan today (October 28, 2023). BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced the hartal before leaving the rally stage amid clashes between law enforcers and BNP leaders, activists. BNP grand rally suspended after police action He said hartal will be observed from 6 am to 6 pm on Sunday (October 29, 2023).   BNP men attacked police, vandalised cars in Dhaka’s Kakrail: DB says BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said they announced the hartal to protest the police and ruling party attacks on their peaceful rally. Earlier, BNP’s grand rally was suspended halfway through the program following the clashes.  The rally began around 12:40 pm, and was stopped around 2:15 pm. BNP rally: Tense situation in Dhaka’s Nayapaltan area

Additional Commissioner of Detective Branch (DB) Harun-or-Rashid has said that some BNP activists attacked police in front of the Judges' Residence Complex in Dhaka’s Kakrail earlier today (October 28, 2023).  “Some policemen were injured. Furthermore, they carried out an attack, vandalised and set some vehicles on fire in front of IDB Bhaban at Kakrail,” he said while talking with reporters in front of Kakrail Church.  Currently, BGB members are deployed at Kakrail Church crossing. He said police have video footage of the incidents. “We will identify those involved and take appropriate action,” he said. Police, BNP men clash in Dhaka’s Kakrail area, police box set on fire The BNP activists who were engaged in violence escaped the scene, and the situation is now under control, he added. Earlier, a chase and counter-chase between police and BNP leaders, activists occurred in Dhaka’s Kakrail area. Witnesses said leaders and activists of BNP brought out a procession in the Kakrail area and started going towards InterContinental hotel around 1 pm. At one stage, police obstructed them, and BNP leaders, activists started throwing brick chips at the law enforcers. More than 50 detained in extensive search operations at Dhaka’s entry points Later, police fired rubber bullets, used sound grenades and tear gas shells to disperse them. The grand rally of BNP has begun in front of its Nayapaltan central office with the participation of thousands of leaders and activists of the party and its associate bodies to press home their one-point demand for holding the upcoming national election under a non-party government. AL, BNP rallies: 3 vehicles vandalised in Dhaka

A tense situation has been prevailing in Dhaka’s Nayapaltan area today (October 28, 2023) as police, RAB, members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) are at the rally venue in the afternoon. Sherpur-Dhaka bus services suspended They also fired rubber bullets, used sound grenades and tear gas shells to disperse them. Police, BNP men clash in Dhaka’s Kakrail area, police box set on fire The grand rally of BNP has begun in front of its Nayapaltan central office with the participation of thousands of leaders and activists of the party and its associate bodies to press home their one-point demand for holding the upcoming national election under a non-party government. More than 50 detained in extensive search operations at Dhaka’s entry points The rally formally began around 12:40 pm with recitation from the holy Quran.

The presence of public transport and other vehicles on Dhaka streets today (October 28) is relatively thin compared to other days, as tensions escalated surrounding the two big parties’ announced programs, causing immense commuting woes. People who depend on public transport for their daily commute have been hit hard due to few vehicles on the roads. Panic has gripped people over the scheduled rallies of BNP and Awami League in the capital. Most are preferring to stay home unless they have any urgent work. Thousands gather at Dhaka’s Nayapaltan for BNP’s grand rally Though the day is a government holiday, those who work in private organizations are facing severe commuting problems. The number of private cars, rickshaws and other vehicles on the streets are also few. Streets in Shanir Akhra, Kakrail, Shantinagar, Mouchak, Dholaipar, Jatrabari, Sayedabad, Gulistan, Purana Paltan, and Jatiya Press Club areas have few public transport. Many were seen waiting for buses to reach their respective destinations. Fakhrul intends peaceful grand rally, warns govt against excesses No long route buses left from Gulistan. Contacted, Joint Commissioner (Traffic-North) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Abu Saleh Md Raihan told UNB that the number of vehicles including public buses is low compared to other days. Mariful Hasan, who had to commute to his office in Mouchak from Shewrapara, said, “I boarded a bus from Shewrapara which dropped me at Bijoy Sarani. Getting no public transport at that point, I decided to walk to Farmgate. Later, I managed to board a bus to Mouchak.” Like Mariful, Rahul, who also worked for a private company, said he had to change transport twice to reach his office from Keraniganj. Kaniz Fatema said she took a CNG-run three wheeler from Narayanganj to her office in Dhaka due to the lack of public transport. Passengers suffer due to suspension of bus movement between Dhaka and Mymensingh ahead of BNP rally Police and RAB personnel were seen patrolling the roads while a number of check-posts were set up to ensure security. Thousands of law enforcers – police, RAB and other agencies – have been deployed in the capital city to prevent possible violence during the rallies. AL and the BNP got permission from Dhaka Metropolitan Police to hold their rallies at their respective venues. Jamaat, however, did not get any go-ahead from DMP for their program.

Thousands of leaders and activists of BNP and its associate bodies have gathered in front of the party’s Nayapaltan central office to attend the grand rally today (October 28, 2023) to mount pressure on the government to accept their one-point demand. BNP activists started gathering in front of the party's Nayapaltan headquarters this morning amid the presence of a huge number of law enforcers. Defying the senior leaders’ instructions, several thousand opposition activists thronged Nayapaltan on Friday afternoon in advance and stayed there overnight. 200 BNP men detained from under-construction building in Dhaka’s Kakrail area Visiting the rally venue around 9 am today, thousands of opposition activists were seen coming from different parts of the city. Wearing colourful caps, carrying banners, festoons, placards and portraits of the party’s top leaders, they were shouting anti-government slogans as they converged on the venue. The roads and alleys stretching from Kakrail to Arambagh are filled to the brim with BNP activists, halting traffic in the area. Many leaders and activists of the party alleged that they had to face checking and barricades by law enforcers at the entry points and several locations in Dhaka while presence of buses on the streets was very thin. BNP and its allies set to hold rallies as part of their ‘final push’ BNP’s Dhaka north and south city units are organizing the rally to press home the opposition’s one-point demand for holding the upcoming national election under a non-party government. The rally is scheduled to formally begin at 2 pm with BNP’s Standing Committee member Mirza Abbas in the chair.  Panic grips capital city as AL and BNP flex muscles ahead of Saturday’s rallies BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir will address the programme as the chief guest. Apart from BNP, other like-minded political parties and alliances have also made preparations to arrange separate rallies in different parts of the city to press home the one-point demand. Fakhrul intends peaceful grand rally, warns govt against excesses The ruling Awami League is also scheduled to hold a rally in front of the south gate of Baitul Mukarram mosque, which is 1.7 km away from BNP’s rally at Nayapaltan.  After taking much time, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) finally gave Awami League and BNP permission on Friday evening to hold their rallies in the capital’s Baitul Mukarram’s South Gate and Nayapaltan respectively on 20 conditions. Passengers suffer due to suspension of bus movement between Dhaka and Mymensingh ahead of BNP rally

Ruling Awami League and main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) have been given permission by police to hold their rallies in the capital’s Baitul Mukarram’s South Gate and Nayapaltan respectively on 20 conditions on Saturday (October 28, 2023). Dhaka Metropolitan Police Headquarters issued separate letters to these parties in this regard tonight.  According to the letters, the Awami League got permission at the south gate of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque while the BNP in front of their party office at Nayapaltan. Read: Panic grips capital city as AL and BNP flex muscles ahead of Saturday’s rallies The conditions state that DMP would only allow people to gather at the venues after 12:00pm, the rallies cannot go outside the allocated spaces, parties have to conclude the rallies within allotted time, no provocative or anti-state speeches should be given from the rallies, activists won't be allowed to carry sticks or rods in the name of carrying banners or festoons, organisers would be responsible if any untoward incident happen or law-enforcement situation deteriorated. Earlier, AL and BNP submitted applications to the DMP for the permission of the rallies on October 20 and 21, respectively.