The BNP has called for nationwide demonstrations to protest against the issuing of an arrest warrant against the party’s Senior Vice President Tarique Rahman in a sedition case.
Addressing a press conference at the New Paltan party headquarters, Vice Chairman Shamsuzzaman Dudu briefed the media on the party plans.
The party will hold demonstrations at all metropolitan cities and district towns on Monday.
Dudu accused the government of clamping charges of sedition on Tarique out of ‘jealousy about his popularity’.
He added that the step revealed the government’s sense of insecurity. He termed the step as an attempt to ‘tarnish his political image’.
Tarique Rahman, the son of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, has been in the UK for the last 7 years.
On Jan 8, 2015, sedition charges were pressed against him over his Jan 5 speech that had been telecast from a London channel.
Based on the charges, a court issued an arrest warrant against Rahman on Thursday last.
BNP leaders said its youth affiliate staged a countrywide protest on Friday while the students’ wing of the party staged a similar protest the following day.
Several top brass leaders were present at the Saturday press conference.
‘Hit the streets’
The BNP said that its units at all wards in Dhaka city corporations would hold demonstrations on Sunday and a rally would be held in Dhaka the following day.
The BNP’s Dhaka metropolitan unit Convener, Mirza Abbas. has urged supporters to take to the streets in protest against the warrant of arrest issued against Tarique Rahman.
“There will be demonstrations at every ward between 2pm and 7pm on Sunday”, he said.
Addressing leaders and workers of his party, Mirza Abbas said, “Remember, we must protest tomorrow…all must take to the streets. There’s no point being so afraid.”
Source: bdnews24
