Abu Jakir :
The Awami League (AL) and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Bangladesh’s two major political parties, are set to hold parallel rallies in Dhaka on Saturday, June 29.
BNP will hold a rally in front of its Nayapaltan headquarters demanding the release of its chairperson, Khaleda Zia, who is currently undergoing treatment in a city hospital.
Simultaneously, the ruling Awami League will hold a rally in front of its headquarters on Bangabandhu Avenue to commemorate the party’s 75th founding anniversary.
The Dhaka City (South) Unit of AL is organising the event, and AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader, who also serves as the road, transport, and bridges minister, will address the rally as the chief guest.
The upcoming rallies come after the controversial January 2024 general elections, which were boycotted by the BNP.
The BNP has struggled to mount a significant opposition movement since then, and the party now aims to reinvigorate its efforts by demanding Khaleda Zia’s release.
Khaleda Zia, the former prime minister, was convicted in the Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust corruption cases and has been in prison since February 8, 2018.
The Awami League government, which won the national election in 2018, has rejected the BNP’s demand for a neutral caretaker government before the next elections, with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina vowing that “Bangladesh will never allow an unelected government again.
” This has led to heightened tensions between the two parties, with the United Nations expressing concerns over pre-election violence and the government’s response to opposition rallies.
The BNP has been staging large protest rallies, demanding Hasina’s resignation and the formation of a neutral caretaker government to oversee the upcoming elections.
BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed highlighted the urgency of the rallies, stating that party leader Khaleda Zia is “very sick” and “could die at any moment,” but is not receiving adequate medical treatment due to “court excuses.”
Khaleda Zia, the former Prime Minister and BNP leader, has been receiving medical treatment at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka since Friday, with a pacemaker recently fitted in her heart.
The BNP has formally requested cooperation from the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) for their rally at Naya Paltan.
On Thursday, a BNP delegation visited the DMP office and discussed the rally with Additional Commissioner A.K.M. Hafiz Akhter, as DMP Commissioner Habibur Rahman was not present.
The ongoing political crisis in Bangladesh is one of the most serious challenges faced by Prime Minister Hasina and her Awami League party in recent years, as the opposition continues to demand a level playing field for the upcoming elections.
Shahiduddin Chowdhury Annie emphasised the importance of their cause, stating, “Although BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia is seriously ill and hospitalised, she is still imprisoned. She cannot go outside for treatment at will, and she is deprived of living freely and engaging in politics. On June 29, we will hold a programme in Dhaka city to demand her release.”
Chowdhury also claimed that the police assured their cooperation for a peaceful rally, adding, “The voice that will rise from this rally will compel the government to release her.”
Responding to the situation, AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader said, “We are not planning any counter-programmes against BNP or the opposition’s ograms.” Our programmes were announced earlier. The year-long celebrations of the 75th anniversary of the Awami League will continue throughout the country.”
AL Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif further clarified the party’s stance, saying, “We will be in the streets whenever BNP tries to create anarchy in the country in the name of movement and holding rallies.
We will not put any obstacles in the way of BNP holding their rally, but we will remain on the streets to safeguard people’s lives and property during their rally time.” Enrich and edit, keeping all the information