Thousands join mass rally braving obstacles

Staff Reporter
Thousands of leaders and activists of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its associate bodies joined the party’s divisional rally in Khulna on Saturday, defying the road and water transport strikes and various other obstacles.
As part of the party’s planned divisional programmes, Khulna city unit of BNP arranged the mass rally on the Sonali Bank premises in the city which started at around 11:30am with recitation from the Holy Quran.
BNP senior leaders, including Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and some standing committee members, addressed the rally.
The rally was called as part of the BNP’s central programmes on demand of polls time caretaker government, protesting the killings of the party leaders and activists, price hikes of fuel oil and daily essentials and demanding the unconditional release of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia.
The BNP men alleged that they had to face many obstacles, including hindrances from ruling Awami League men and its associate bodies and a shortage of vehicles, on their way to the rally.
Earlier, Khulna transport owners and workers stopped inter-district bus and launch services enforcing a 48-hour strike ahead of the BNP rally.
BNP activists claimed that having no other choices, they started their journey towards Khulna soon after the announcement so that they could evade the transport strike.
Some BNP men even took water and dry foods, including puffed and flattened rice, with them in fear that the hotels and restaurants might remain closed in Khulna on the rally day.
They also alleged that police arrested some of BNP leaders in various old cases, apparently to refrain them from attending the mass rally.
Ahead of the BNP rally, the ruling party activists were seen took position in the city’s different entry points through with sticks.
Awami League leaders and activists took position in front of their party office at the Boikali Bazar area. It was alleged that they did not allow any vehicle to pass the point. ahead of the BNP rally.
BNP activists claimed that having no other choices, they started their journey towards Khulna soon after the announcement so that they could evade the transport strike.
Some BNP men even took water and dry foods, including puffed and flattened rice, with them in fear that the hotels and restaurants might remain closed in Khulna on the rally day.
They also alleged that police arrested some of BNP leaders in various old cases, apparently to refrain them from attending the mass rally.
Ahead of the BNP rally, the ruling party activists were seen took position in the city’s different entry points through with sticks.
Awami League leaders and activists took position in front of their party office at the Boikali Bazar area. It was alleged that they did not allow any vehicle to pass the point.
Some other Jubo League activists took positions in the New Market area. Sometimes, they chased BNP leaders and activists on the Jashore road.
Besides, a number of local units of Awami League and Jubo League brought out processions from different places of the city to show their active presence all around the rally.
Meanwhile, a clash erupted between the police and BNP in the city’s railway station area at around 12pm on Saturday. It was alleged that leaders and workers were obstructed from entering the city to attend the public rally.
BNP and sources said that BNP leaders and activists from different areas thronged the railway station premises at around 12pm. Then police tried to disperse them away from the spot leading to an exchange of heated altercation.
When police beat the BNP activists, BNP also began hurling brickbats at the police and vandalised doors and glass windows of the station. However, the situation was brought under control.
Besides, a group of around 60 BNP workers who were in a pickup van from Keshabpur Upazila in Jashore came under attack at around 1pm on Saturday when they reached near the Sonadanga Police Station, leaving a number of people injured.
“When our pickup van reached in front of the Sonadanga Police Station, we saw some people running towards us. They asked us to stop the van and started thrashing us with sticks without listening to us,” Ziaul Hasan, who received a head injury, said. Police said they did not know about such incidents.
Meanwhile, the BNP leaders at the Khulna rally said that the government had been hatching a conspiracy anew to remain in power ahead of the parliamentary election, but there would be no election without a caretaker government.
Speaking at the rally, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the ruling Awami League is against the poll-time caretaker government system as the party will face a humiliating defeat in upcoming election under a neutral government.
“There will be no sign of the Awami League if the next election is held under the caretaker government. They (Awami League) will not get even 10 seats,” he added.
He also said that there will be no election without a caretaker government. The caretaker government had been scrapped only to establish autocracy in the country.
About the government’s misrule, Fakhrul said, “The ruling Awami League wants to cling to power by force. By depriving the people, they want to sustain in power without votes.”  
Urging the government to withdraw cases and to release their leaders and activists, he said, “I want to make it clear that you will get no exit. People will oust you through mass upsurge.”
Saluting the party’s leaders and workers, Fakhrul said, “Khulna has been cut off from the rest of the country, but you have made the rally successful for your determination. We have no other way left but the movement to oust the government.”
He also said that the government wanted to cling to power, scaring the people.
During the rally, one of the chairs on the stage was kept empty in honour of party’s Chairperson Khaleda Zia as they did in the last two rallies.
BNP standing committee member Khandakar Mosharraf Hossain alleged that the ruling Awami League’s history is the history of ‘killing democracy’ while Goyeshwar Chandra Roy alleged that more than 200 party workers were arrested centring the rally.
He urged the law enforcers not to listen to the illogical orders of the government and to stand against people.
Another standing committee member Abdul Moyeen Khan said that a sea of people at the rally proved that people do not fear the ruling party.
BNP Vice-Chairman Shamsuzzaman Dudu said, “The government’s days are numbered now. Our leaders and workers have suffered much. You don’t need to suffer many days. The government will resign very soon.”
Drawing attention of the Awami League, he said, “Awami League leaders said that there would be no people in our rally. Let them come and see. They will be ashamed.”
BNP would hold 10 grand rallies in 10 divisional cities. The first one was held in Chattogram while the second one was staged in Mymensingh, the last rally will be held in the capital on December 10.