‘The ruling party held rally at Suhrawardy Udyan, so-called opposition Jatiya party also held rally there, why only BNP cannot get permission? ‘
BNP is yet to get permission for today’s rally at Suhrawardy Udyan in the afternoon.
Leaders of the party, however, appeared hopeful till yesterday that the government would eventually permit them to hold the mass gathering at the venue.
The party earlier declared to hold the rally at Suhrawardy Udyan marking the third anniversary of January 5 polls, what it observes as Democracy Killing Day.
A BNP delegation yesterday morning went to Dhaka Metropolitan Police office to meet the commissioner.
Leader of the delegation, Shaheed Uddin Chowdhury Anny told the media, “We could not meet the DMP commissioner; but we talked to three on-duty officials. We hope to get the permission.”
Meanwhile, at a press conference at the party’s Naya Paltan office, Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said, “We have completed all preparations for holding our Democracy Killing Day rally at Suhrawardy Udyan. Only the permission is due yet. Letter seeking permission of the venue had been sent to concerned authorities.”
“The ruling party held rally at Suhrawardy Udyan, so-called opposition Jatiya party also held rally there, why only BNP cannot get permission? Till now, we hope that we would get permission,” he added.
BNP Secretary General Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, at a meeting of the city unit of BNP yesterday afternoon, said if refused to hold it at Suhrawardy Udyan, BNP wants permission to hold the rally at Naya Paltan.
He said: “We sought permission of Suhrawardy Udyan. If we get permission by the evening, we will hold our rally there. We hope, the government will come to senses and give permission.”
“We have asked the government to permit our rally at Naya Paltan, if there is any problem to perit it at Suhrawardy Udyan,” he added.
Same situation appeared last year when the authorities did not permit BNP to hold rally at the same venue on the same day. BNP then organised its rally at Naya Paltan.
Source : Dhaka Tribune