BNP Chairperson’s adviser Shamsuzzaman Dudu told UNB that they got a written permission from the government allowing them to stage the rally at the Shapla Chattar.
On April 29, BNP sought a written permission for holding the rally either at Shapla Chattar or Nightingale Intersection.
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia is scheduled to address the rally and likely to announce the next course of action programmes of the alliance to push for its various demands, including restoration of the caretaker government system.
Earlier in the day, at a press briefing at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office, Dudu, who is now taking care of the party’s official activities in absence of office secretary Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, had threatened that they will stage the rally by any means in the city.
On April 27, the alliance announced the programme to register its protest against the Savar tragedy and press home their various demands, including restoration of the caretaker government system.
The rally is also meant for pressing the government to immediately arrest those responsible for Rana Plaza tragedy at Savar, the release of top BNP leaders, protesting repression and oppression of the opposition leaders and activists and forcing the “failed, incompetent regime” to quit.
Addressing a rally at Kanchpur on the outskirts of the capital marking the May Day on Wednesday, the opposition leader said, “Today, I don’t want to say anymore…I’ll come up with my real speech at our May 4 rally in Dhaka city.”
BNP sources said the alliance has taken all-out preparation to make the rally a success with the participation of its huge supporters.
According to the sources, many leaders and activists of the alliance started arriving in Dhaka from across the country for the last 2-3- days apprehending possible government obstruction to them from reaching the capital on the eve of the rally.
They said nearly 1.5 lakh people have already reached Dhaka from across the country as the alliance wants to stage a big showdown.
According to a BNP policymaker, the BNP chairperson was to announce harsher programmes like road-rail-water-way blockade, Dhaka siege and a 48-hour hartal. But, in the wake of the government’s soft line offering dialogue and hassle-free permission to hold the rally at Shapla Chattar, there may be some changes in the alliance action programmes, too, he said.
However, another senior leader terming the government’s current stance a trick said there will be no change in the action programmes. “The programmes will be announced as planned earlier,” he said.
