Police will resist with an iron fist if any attempt is made to hamper the law-and-order situation centring Friday’s rally of the BNP-led 18-party alliance to be held in the capital.
“Police will resist with an iron hand any attempt to hinder law and order centring the October 25 rally (of the 18-party alliance),” Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Benazir Ahmed told a press briefing at the DMP Media Centre on Thursday evening.
Accusing BNP leaders of making provocative speeches regarding the rally, the DMP boss said their remarks have created panic in the minds of people. “Even, BNP leaders asked party activists to be armed with choppers, axes, leading to a panicky situation.”
He, however, said they gave permission to the 18-party combine for holding the rally at the capital’s Suhrawardy Udyn as a delegation of BNP as well as its acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir gave assurance of holding the rally peacefully.
Mentioning that the opposition alliance sought permission to hold the rally in any of three venues in the capital, Benazir Ahmed said considering everything, they allowed it to arrange its rally at Suhrawardy Udyn.
Earlier, the BNP-led 18-party alliance on October 10 sought any of three venues—Suhrawardy Udyan, Paltan Midan and Nayapaltan — for holding the rally.
But, the DMP on October 20 slapped a ban on holding all kinds of rally and demonstration, five days ahead of an anti-government rally organised by the opposition alliance to press home its demand for restoration of the caretaker government system.
Despite the ban, BNP had vowed to hold its scheduled rally in the capital on Friday at any cost.
Source: UNB Connect
