Tense situation prevails in Khulna over BNP rally

Staff Reporter :
A day is left for the BNP grand rally in Khulna City. However, BNP is accusing the ruling party of taking various attempts including suspension of bus services, police raids in residences and attacks on campaign work in a bid to foil their programme.
BNP topnotch leaders said that nothing can stop their leaders and workers from joining the rally on Saturday to make it a success.
As the Khulna transport owners and association on Wednesday announced the suspension of the bus services on Friday and Saturday with the plea of avoiding any kind of subversive activity centering the rally.
As the same time, BNP also alleged that police in the Khulna city have been conducting combing operations in the residences of the local BNP leaders and workers at night.
Meanwhile, BNP sources said that many of their leaders have already started for Khulna through various means as the transport services will remain closed for two days.
Many BNP leaders and workers who hired different vehicles ahead of the rally said the vehicle owners have cancelled their contracts and returned their advance money.
Against such a situation, BNP workers from different districts on Thursday started their journey towards Khulna by trains, buses and other vehicles with necessary logistics like water bottles and dry foods.
Member Secretary of Chuadanga District BNP Sharifuzzaman Sharif in a meeting on Thursday said, “We have informed our leaders and workers beforehand to carry one bottle of water and dry food. Our movement will continue and nothing can stop us.”
Organising Secretary of Khulna Division Aninda Islam said, “We may face trouble on our way, but we have to make our intention clear. It may take hours to reach Khulna but we will get there. We will remove all obstructions.” Magura leaders workers said that they are not getting buses and micro-buses to reach Khulna as the transport owners have expressed their inability and returned their advance money.
“We hired eight buses and five micro-buses for our leaders and workers. But now the transport owners have cancelled the contract and returned the advance fare,” Magura District BNP President Badrul Alam said.
“We had prepared 600 workers and leaders to go to Khulna. We paid Tk 14,500 for a bus fare from Sreepur Upazila to Khulna. But the bus owner has returned the advance money,” he added.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir in the capital on Thursday alleged that the government has been creating obstruction in their peaceful rally.
“The government talks about democracy. But why are they preventing our peaceful programme?” he questioned.
“You have noticed that the government has come down to the streets in a naked way to prevent our demonstration and rally. They are forcing the bus owners to suspend the bus services. Why are they doing it?” he added.
“The government wants to create obstruction so that the presence of our leaders and workers become thin. Then the government will tell that a few people responded,” Fakhrul said.
On the other hand, BNP Vice-Chairman Shamsuzzaman Dudu in a press briefing in Khulna BNP party office on Thursday said, “The rally will be peaceful. We are expecting cooperation from all.”
“A transport strike has been imposed for two days to foil our rally. Attacks are being carried out in our campaign here. At least six of our mikes have been vandalised. Workers are facing attacks during the campaign,” he added.
“Even police are raiding the houses of our leaders and workers in Khulna to harass and intimidate them with a view to thwarting the party’s divisional rally in the city. The trawlers have been prevented. But nothing can stop the rally,” he added.
Meanwhile, the suspension of transports in Khulna has worried the mass people as they are worried how they will travel during this time.
People fear immense suffering for such a step of the suspension of vehicles as many have their schedules for exams and other necessary assignments.