The Saturday’s scheduled rally of the BNP-led 19-party alliance will be held today (Sunday) on grounds of inauguration of the ‘Amar Ekushey Book Fair 2014′ and the second phase of the Biswa Ijtema.The alliance was scheduled to hold its rally at Suhrawardy Udyan in the city on Saturday afternoon as part of its pre-announced countrywide demonstration programme protesting the law enforcers’ obstruction to their January-29 black flag procession and killing and disappearances of their leaders and activists. The programme is also meant for mounting pressure on the government to cancel the January-5 elections.In a press release sent from the BNP’s Nayapaltan central office signed by the party’s assistant office secretary said that they have decided to change the scheduled rally for Saturday to Sunday to facilitate the inauguration of the book fair and the Biswa Ijtema. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the month-long book fair on the Bangla Academy premises on Saturday afternoon while the second phase of Biswa Ijtema began on Friday and will conclude today (Sunday) morning. The 19-party alliance, however, staged demonstrations in some parts of the country as per its schedule.Although the BNP-led alliance was scheduled to hold the rally in the city, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) did not give the permission for the programme. BNP had submitted an application to the DMP seeking permission for the rally. The party also informed the DMP about their changed decision, the press release said. BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday announced the programme.
