Staff Reporter :
In a move aimed at expressing discontent and pushing for their demands, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has announced black-flag processions in municipalities, upazilas, districts, and metropolitan areas throughout the country on January 30.
The key demands include the annulment of what they term the ‘illegal and dummy’ parliament and a call for a new election under a non-partisan neutral caretaker government.
Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, a standing committee member of the BNP, made the announcement following a brief rally and a black-flag procession in the capital’s Naya Paltan area on Saturday.
Addressing the crowd, Roy emphasised the need to persist with their programme on the streets, criticising the current government as being more aligned with the interests of foreign powers like China, India, and Russia than the people of Bangladesh.
“We should not return home with satisfaction, but should continue our programme on the streets. This government is not for the people; instead, it is for China, India, and Russia,” Roy declared during the event.
He further questioned the legitimacy of the government, alleging that the prime minister had managed foreign certifications but that the government’s legality should not be solely based on foreign certifications without the approval of the people.
The BNP’s program is not only centered around demanding the scrapping of what they consider an illegitimate parliament but also aims to protest against rising commodity prices. The party has been persistent in its call for a fair election under the supervision of a neutral government.
Leaders and activists from Dhaka and its suburbs congregated at the announced venues, starting processions around 12:30 pm. After a brief rally, the participants engaged in a black-flag procession around 3:30 pm.
Abdul Moyeen Khan, another member of the party’s standing committee, asserted that the black-flag protests signify the final warning for the government, which, according to him, is operating without public mandate and will be compelled to depart after being isolated from the people. He characterized the January 7 election as a moral defeat for the government.