The BNP has accused police of cordoning off its Naya Paltan headquarters.
A programme to celebrate party chief Khaleda Zia’s birthday was scheduled there for Friday but police were seen taking position in front of the headquarters since 8am with riot cars, water cannons and a prison van.
“They (the law enforcers) have besieged our headquarters and are not allowing our activists in,” party’s Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said at a press conference in Naya Paltan.
He dubbed it an “ill-attempt” by the government to foil the day’s programmes.
BNP Chairperson Khaleda celebrated her birthday in the early hours of Friday with her party activists despite criticisms from various quarters.
She has been observing her birthday on Aug 15, the National Mourning Day, for the past two decades. There are contradictory information on both the date and year of her birth.
Bangladesh’s founding father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members were killed by a group of disgruntled army officers on this day in 1975.
The ruling Awami League claims the BNP chief mainly observes her birthday on Aug 15 to “celebrate the attempt to turn Bangladesh towards Pakistani ideals after Bangabandhu’s assassination”.
Asked if Friday’s programme had been cancelled, Rizvi said how could there be a programme when police were not allowing any activist in.
Black flag procession
Rizvi said the 20-Party Alliance has taken “massive preparations” across Bangladesh to take out a procession sporting black flags in protest against the killing of over 2,000 Palestinians by Israel during the latest invasion.
Saturday’s procession will start from the party’s Naya Paltan headquarters at 3pm.
The BNP leader assured that the procession would be “peaceful”.
Asked about police permission, he said they had already written to police.
“They have responded positively but we are yet to receive written permission,” the BNP leader said.
Source: Bd news24
