Dhaka, Dec 29 (UNB) – The BNP-led 18-party alliance on Sunday could not stage its ‘March for Democracy’ programme in the city due to strong resistance by law enforcers and ruling party activists.
Law enforcers took positions at different strategic points, intersections and on different roads since early morning, preventing the opposition leaders and activists from converging on any point of the city.
Opposition leader and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia also could not come out of her Gulshan residence to join the 18-party’s ‘March for Democracy’ programme at Nayapaltan despite her nearly 70-minute frantic efforts from 2:50 pm to 4pm due to obstruction by the law enforcers.
Having failed to join the scheduled programme, the angry BNP chief said their March for Democracy programme will continue tomorrow, no matter what. “Our programme will continue tomorrow, even day after tomorrow …it’ll continue, let’s see what you (govt) can do.”
Meanwhile, BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir in a statement on Sunday said their programme will continue on Monday in Dhaka, protesting the obstruction to their peaceful programme, illegal confinement of Khaleda, gunning down political activists and attacks on journalists and lawyers by Awami League ‘cadres’.
Besides, he said, the opposition will observe sit-in programmes in all divisional cities, district towns and upazila headquarters on Monday.
Though the opposition failed to hold their programme, the normal life in the city was in disarray as an unprecedented security blanket was thrown around it.
Alongside the huge number of law enforcers, ruling party leaders and activists were seen guarding the city streets equipped with sticks to resist the opposition activists from joining their programme.
The leaders and activists of the ruling party and its associate bodies brought out processions with sticks and hockey sticks at different parts of the city.
Though the BNP-led 18-party had vowed to launch its rally at Nayapaltan by 10-11am at any cost, no leaders and activists of the alliance were seen in and around there in the face of strong security measures and resistance by the law enforcers and ruling party men.
The area was made off-limit to traffic by putting barricades at different points. Even common people were not allowed to enter or stand anywhere in the area. There was strong vigilance of the law enforcers at all the entry points to Nayapaltan.
On December 24, BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia called upon people from all walks of life to march towards Dhaka carrying the national flag to press home their demand for having the next national election under a non-party neutral administration.
However, the DMP authorities rejected the BNP plea seeking permission to hold the rally in front its Nayapaltan office.
Meanwhile, a leader of Islami Chhatra Shibir, the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, was killed in police firing during a clash between 18-party activists and police in the city’s Malibagh Bazar area in the afternoon.
In another incident, a Railway Nirapatta Bahini (RNB) member, Abul Kashem, 30 was killed in a bomb attack at Kamalapur Railway Station in the afternoon.
Besides, at least six pro-opposition lawyers were injured as law enforcers and Awami League activists attacked them on the Supreme Court premises when they tried to bring out a procession in support of the opposition’s March for Democracy programme around 3:30pm.
Activists of Awami League and its front organisations hurled brickbats at pro-BNP journalists on the premises of the Jatiya Press Club at about 12pm.
Pro-opposition teachers of Dhaka University were manhandled by activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League and Jubo League near the High Court in the afternoon.
Besides, over 300 leaders and activists of the BNP-led 18-party alliance were arrested at different places across the country in separate drivers of the joint forces from Saturday night to Sunday morning.
In the capital, police arrested BNP leader Maj (retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia’s adviser Inam Ahmed Chowdhury. The law enforcers also arrested three leaders of Jatiyatabadi Mahila Dal, women wing of the BNP, and five leaders and activists of Jamaat.
City dwellers suffered much as most buses stayed off the streets in the city apparently on government instructions to prevent opposition’s programme.
Rickshaws, human-haulers, CNG-run auto-rickshaws and battery-driven three-wheelers dominated the city streets.
Source: UNBConnect
