BNP will stage demonstration at every thana of the city on Saturday in protest against denial by authorities to allow the party to hold its scheduled rally in the capital marking what it calls as ‘Democracy Killing Day’ on Friday. BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi announced the programme at a press conference at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office here on Friday.
“It has been proved once again with the obstruction to BNP’s rally that Awami League is a party that kills
democracy,” he said. Rizvi said the government did not allow BNP to hold the rally as part of its scorched-earth policy to hush up the ‘controversial and stigmatised’ national election held on January 5, 2014.
On Monday, BNP announced to hold a rally at Suhrawardy Udyan in the city and bring out black flag processions across the country on January 5 to observe the day as ‘Democracy Killing Day’ to register its protest against 10th parliamentary polls held on that day in 2014. Later, the party sought permission from Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) and South City Corporation authorities on Wednesday for holding the programme at Nayapaltan as an Islamic party was allowed to hold a rally at Suhrawardy Udyan the same day.
However, the DMP authorities urged the party to arrange an indoor programme on Friday instead of going for outdoor one. BNP later shelved its plan to hold a rally or any other programme in the city in observance of the ‘Democracy Killing Day’ to avoid confrontations. But the party’s all other metropolitan, district and upazila units are observing the day by bringing out black flag processions. Awami League is also marking the day as ‘Victory Day for Democracy’ holding two separate rallies at Banani field and Bangabandhu Avenue in the city and various programmes across the country.
Rizvi criticised the government for denying their party the permission to arrange the rally while the ruling party has been given permission to hold two rallies in the capital. He also alleged that law enforcers are obstructing their party’s black flag processions at different parts of the country, including Gazipur, Mymensingh, Khulna, and Chittagong.
Huge law enforcers have been deployed in and around BNP’s Nayapaltan central office since morning to avoid any untoward incident.
