BNP apologises in advance for public sufferings today
Raising fears of traffic chaos in the capital, opposition leaders and activists march on rally venues in Dhaka today as part of a mass contact programme to press their demands, including the restoration of the caretaker government system.
The main opposition BNP expressed regret about the sufferings the day-long programme would cause to city residents.
“We are sorry for the inconvenience [to be caused due to the rallies], but I believe city residents will cooperate with us,” Abdus Salam, member secretary of Dhaka city unit BNP, said at a press briefing yesterday.
Abdullah Al Mahmud, joint commissioner (traffic), said the opposition’s programme might disrupt traffic movement in the capital, but necessary measures have been taken to ease sufferings of commuters.
“Rallies will be held on streets, and they will affect traffic movement in the capital. But we will try our best to make sure that vehicular movement is not disrupted,” he said.
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia will address five street rallies at Gabtoli, Karwan Bazar, Jatrabari, Sabujbagh and Badda. The first rally will be held at Gabtoli at 10:00am.
She will exchange greetings with local leaders and workers of BNP and other components of the BNP-led 18-party alliance at Dholaikhal in old Dhaka.
The alliance will also observe the mass contact programme in other parts of the country to drum up public support for their demands, including the restoration of the caretaker government system to oversee the next parliamentary elections.
Meanwhile, Home Minister MK Alamgir said if the opposition holds the programme peacefully, the government would welcome it.
“If they hold the rallies without causing sufferings to people, we will welcome that,” he told reporters after attending several programmes in Chandpur, reports UNB.
Khaleda will go to Karwan Bazar from Gabtoli at about 11:00am via Kalyanpur, Agargaon and Farmgate, said party leaders.
The BNP chief will then go to Dholaikhal via FDC, Moghbazar, Kakrail and Gulistan.
After exchanging greetings with party men at Dholaikhal, she will go to Jatrabari via Doyaganj to address a rally, and then travel to Sabujbagh via Sayedabad and Mughda.
She will go to Badda via Basabo, Khilgaon and Rampura, and address a rally there at 2:30pm to conclude the mass contact programme.
BNP spokesperson Tariqul Islam said, “The programme will be peaceful and hundreds of thousands of people will make it a success.”
The government will be compelled to accept the opposition’s demand for the restoration of the caretaker government system, said Tariqul, also BNP standing committee member, at a press briefing at the party’s Nayapaltan office yesterday.
The former minister hoped that good sense will prevail on the government and it will make a move to hold the next parliamentary elections under a non-party neutral government.
The day-long programme will be telecast live on www.bnplive.com, said officials at the BNP central office.
Khaleda announced the programme at a rally in front of the BNP central office on November 28.
Source: The Daily Star
