Quit, BNP’s ‘one-point’ from massive Dhaka rally

Staff Reporter :
The BNP announced its one-point demanding of resignation of the Awami League government and holding the next general election under a non-party caretaker government.
It also announced of holding road marches in Dhaka and in all city headquarters and district towns on July 18 and July 19 to press home the demand.

The BNP Secretary General, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, declared the programme from its massive rally held in front of the party’s Nayapaltan headquarters in the capital on Wednesday.
The 36 like-minded political parties also declared the same one-point demand and porgramme through separate rallies in the capital on the same day as part of their simultaneous movement.
On July 18, the party would march from Dhaka’s Gabtoli to Jatrabari, while the district headquarters also to observe the programme on the same day.
Besides, the road march would be held from Abdullahpur to Bahadur Shah Park in the capital on July 19.
As per the announcement, the march will be held from 10:00am to 4:00pm.
The BNP Secretary General said, “To hold inclusive and acceptable national polls, we have just one demand, no other demand, which is the resignation of this fascist, illegal, voting rights snatcher and authoritarian government.”

BNP along with about 36 other political parties have decided to adopt this one-point movement, the BNP leader added.
Demanding immediate resignation of the government, Mirza Fakhrul said, “You have still time to resign. Otherwise, the history of Bangladesh suggests you will not get a chance to flee in the last moment.”
The BNP Secretary General said, “Today’s message is a historic moment in the political history of Bangladesh. This announcement is a declaration to liberate the people of the country, to regain the lost democracy of the nation.”
“The Awami League destroyed and looted this country in the last about 15 years,” he said. “This government is anti-Bangladesh, this government is anti-democracy and anti-sovereignty of the country,” the BNP leader said.
Mirza Fakhrul said, “Justice Khairul Haque should be tried, because he has canceled the judgment for forming a caretaker government and signed the judgment after 16 months of his retirement. Khairul Haque has destroyed the election system in the country.”

Asking the government to accept the demand of quick resignation Mirza Fakhrul said, “If they do not meet our people’s desire of holding polls under non- party neutral government, we know how they could make compel to resign.”

He warned of tougher agitation after the July 18- 19 road march porgrammes.
He said, “BNP leader Ilias Ali, former MP of Laksam Hiru, BNP leader Parvez, Chowdhury Alam along with hundreds of activists have gone missing. Thousands of activists were killed during this regime.”
The BNP leader said, “They have destroyed the judiciary system of the country, Khadijatul Kubra, a student of Jagannath University, is in jail for eight months under the Digital Security Act. She is not even being granted bail from the court.”
Mirza Fakhrul said, it has been about 10 years that this government has not been able to solve the Rohingya refugee crisis.
“In fact, they do not have the ability to solve the problems of the Rohingyas,” he said.
Mirza Abbas, a member of the BNP Standing Committee, said, “The Awami League is holding a peace meeting. Their gathering is so small, it can be called a meeting, not a rally.”
Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, a member of the BNP Standing Committee, said “Sheikh Hasina knows that she has to leave, she also knows which country she will get a visa for and which country she won’t. There is no compromise with them, there will be no elections in Bangladesh under Sheikh Hasina.”

Dhaka Metropolitan North BNP convenor Aman Ullah Aman presided over the rally.
BNP Standing Committee Members, Abdul Moin Khan, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Selima Rahman, Vice-Chairmen Mohammad Shahjahan, Dr. AZM Zahid Hossain, Shamsuzzaman Dudu, Dhaka Metropolitan South BNP convener Abdus Salam, BNP Joint-Secretary Generals Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal, Khairul Kabir Khokon and Habib un Nabi Khan Sohel, among others, addressed the event.

The rally was scheduled to begin in the afternoon, but huge number of leaders and activists of the BNP began to arrive in front of the party’s Nayapaltan central office from 9:00am. The party men carried banners, festoons and placards reading different slogans regarding their demands, including resignation of the government, immediate release of the party chief Begum Khaleda Zia and such others. They also carried portraits of the party founder late President Ziaur Rahman, Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman.

The party men arrived at the venue defying rain. By 1:00pm, the venue became filled with huge number of male and female party activists and leaders.
After noon, the rally spread to Motijheel, Notre Dame College, Arambagh, Fakirapool, Shantinagar, Malibagh, Mouchak, Kakrail, Nightingale, Matshya Bhavan, Segunbagicha and Bijay Nagar, Paltan intersection areas.
Meanwhile, police barred movement of transports from Nightingale crossing to Dainik Bangla intersection by putting barricades at both the sides.
Number of BNP men alleged that they were harassed by the police on their way of attending the rally in Naya Paltan. A large number of members of law enforcement agencies were deployed surrounding the Naya Paltan rally venue to maintain law and order.