BNP resolute to have rally at Nayapaltan
Staff Reporter :
The main opposition party-BNP on Thursday informed Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) that they could now opt no venue alternative to Naya Paltan in the capital for holding the party’s October 28 grand rally.
The party’s Senior Joint-Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi replied the police authorities through a letter.
The BNP leader wrote the letter to the DMP replying to the metropolitan police’s letter to the party seeking names of alternative venues for holding the main opposition party’s grand rally.
The letter said, “All preparations have been completed to hold the peaceful rally on 28 October in front of BNP’s headquarters in Naya Paltan. It would not be possible to shift the venue to any other place.”
Besides, the issue of alternative venue, the DMP also asked the party about several certain issues like how many people will gather and which areas may cover the rally.
The letter inquired the parties about alternative venues, possible number of people gathering there, rally schedule, places of gathering, places of installing public announcement systems, said police officials.
The party said that they could not opt any other place of the city as the rally venue as they had almost completed all the preparations to hold the rally at Naya Paltan venue.
BNP replied that there might be gathering of around 1 lakh to 1.25 lakh people in the rally which may stretch from Fakirerpool crossing to Bijoynagar crossing.
The rally will start at 2:00pm and end before the dusk, said the BNP letter.
BNP had submitted a letter to the police about holding its rally on 28 October in Naya Paltan, with its one-point demand for the government to resign.
In reply, the police sent a letter BNP yesterday, Wednesday, wanting to know seven different matters including the name of two alternative venues for the rally.
The letter wanted to know how many people would gather at the rally, the time, the space, where the loudspeakers would be set up, if any other parties would join and so on. Loudspeakers would be set up at intervals in this stretch.
No leader and activist of any party other than BNP would join the Saturday rally. The party’s volunteers would be in charge of ensuring the order of the rally. There were 500 volunteers for the task.
DMP Motijheel division Deputy Commissioner Hayatul Islam Khan said media that they had sent letter to both BNP and ruling Awami League on Wednesday about possible alternative venues for their rallies.
Police did not propose any alternative venues, rather asked the parties’ opinions about alternative venues, said DC Hayatul.
