BNP’s divisional rallies today

Staff Reporter :
With 10-point demand, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) today (Saturday) will hold divisional rallies simultaneously with other like-minded political parties protesting the price hike of electricity, gas and other daily commodities.
When BNP will hold protest rallies, the ruling party Awami League and its associate bodies will also be present in the ground with different programmes including rallies both in the capital and elsewhere in the country to keep an eye on the opposition, what they say, to prevent any sort of violent activities.
Meanwhile, Mymensingh BNP alleged police harassment in the name of searching the residences and arrest of BNP leaders and workers ahead of the rally.
BNP said that the government wants to foil their

 ongoing movement by using the law enforcers, but they vowed that they would not retreat before realising their demands.
Syed Emran Saleh, BNP Central Committee Organising Secretary in a press conference at Mymensingh Press Club on Friday said, “Police has arrested BNP’s Muktagachha Organising Secretary Arif Rabbani on Wednesday night. Six other leaders and workers were also arrested from Mohanganj Upazila in Netrakona on Thursday night.”
“Police have been searching the houses of BNP leaders and workers in Sherpur for the last four days. The government has been carrying out police harassment in a bid to suppress BNP’s ongoing movement,” he said.
However, BNP is going to hold the fifth round of simultaneous programme along with the other alliances to create pressure on the government with the demand for resignation of the government, dissolution of the parliament and restoration of a caretaker government.
As part of the central programme, BNP will hold the Dhaka Division rally in front of their central party office at Naya Paltan in the capital at 2pm, with BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir as the Chief Guest.
BNP sources said that the Cumilla Divisional rally will be headed by Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Rajshahi rally led by Mirza Abbas, Khulna rally spearheaded by Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Barishal rally led by Moyeen Khan, Chattogram rally by Nazrul Islam Khan, Sylhet rally Selima Rahman, Mymensingh rally by Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Rangpur rally by Md Shahjahan and Faridpur rally by Barkat Ullah Bulu.
On the other hand, leaders of the Gonotantra Mancha including Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal President ASM Abdur Rob will hold their rallies in front of Jatiya Press Club in the capital at 11.30am.
The twelve party alliance will hold their rally adjacent to the Panir Tank Intersection of Bijoy Nagar at 11am, Jatiyatabadi Samamona Jote will be at Purana Paltan at 11am, while Gono Forum and People’s Party will hold their rally adjacent to Notre Dame College at 4pm, Gonotantrik Bam Oikya in front of Jatiya Press Club at 11am and Liberal Democratic Party will hold rally near FDC of Karwan Bazar at 3pm.
When BNP will hold their divisional rallies, ruling Awami League and its associate bodies will hold peaceful rallies to show their presence in the field.
Sylhet district and the metropolitan Awami League will hold a peaceful rally at Shahid Minar premises.
However Sylhet BNP leaders say that the Awami League announced the programme on the same day to disrupt their pre-scheduled rally protesting the government’s price hike of gas and electricity including daily essentials.
This divisional rally of the BNP will start at 2pm today (Saturday). On the other hand, Awami League’s rally will start at 3pm on the premises of Shaheed Minar.
“We have completed all the preparations for the divisional rally. A huge number of leaders and workers will join the rally like the previous divisional rally,” Sylhet district BNP president Abdul Qayyum Chowdhury told the media.
On the other hand, BNP will hold the Faridpur Divisional rally at Komorpur Abdul Aziz Institute ground around six kilometres away from the town.