Sagar Biswas :The ruling Awami League and the BNP-led 20-party alliance are set to hold their respective programmes almost simultaneously in the city today. The Dhaka City AL, as a part of its month-long mourning programme, will organize rally this afternoon at Suhrawardy Udayan. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, also president of AL, is likely to address the rally.BNP-led 20 party alliance is going to observe the United Nation’s International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearance on August 30 forming human chains across the country. “We have taken all preparations to organize the human chain programme. Just now we are waiting for police clearance,” Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed, Joint- Secretary General of BNP, told The New Nation yesterday night. When asked whether BNP would organize its programme if police refuse to give clearance, he said, ” We are closely observing thesituation. We will be sitting together to review our position if the police do not give permission.” Expressing determination, Lieutenant General [Rtd] Mahabubur Rahman, BNP standing committee member, yesterday said, “We will observe the pre-scheduled programme across the country. None can ask us to shift the date.”Meanwhile, the AL Dhaka city and other organizational units have instructed their leaders and workers from every locality to turn out in strength for its programme. “BNP chief Khaleda Zia and few of her party men have announced the programme just to counter the AL’s August 30 programme with an intention to make chaos,” Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, General Secretary of AL Dhaka City Unit said.He said, “The AL Dhaka city unit had planned its programme at Suhrawardy Udyan on August 30, long before the BNP-led alliance announced its programme the same day.”
