The BNP is scheduled to begin its Teesta long march this morning at 8 am from near the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport instead of its previously announced venue Naya Paltan party office.The BNP high command had changed the starting venue to avoid traffic jams in the heart of the city, said BNP Joint-Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed at a press conference on Monday afternoon.Rizvi hoped that the government would extend its cooperation to their peaceful long march programme because it was a designed in the national interest. Any opposition to it would be considered as an act against the national interest, he observed. The BNP called the long march demanding rightful share in the water of 54 common rivers, including the Teesta. The Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) and Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal (BSD) had also designed similar programme, which ended on April 19. BNP acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir will lead the long march. Four wayside rallies and two public meetings will be held. The first wayside rally will be held at Kaliakair in Gazipur at 9:30 AM today and the second one in Tangail at 11:00 AM. The third wayside rally will be held at Kaddar intersection in Sirajganj at 12:00 noon, the fourth one in Bogra at 2:30 PM, the fifth one at Gobindaganj in Gaibandha at 3:30 PM and the sixth wayside rally will be held at Palashbari at 4:30 PM, said RizviAfter the last wayside rally, the marchers will leave Gaibandha for Rangpur and will stay overnight there. After overnight stay, the party will hold a public rally there at 9:00 AM in the morning and then restart their long march towards the Teesta Barrage. The march will end after holding another public rally at Dalia point in Nilphamari at 11:00 AM. In support of long march progrmame, BNP and its front bodies brought out processions and held rallies in several parts of the country, particularly in the northern districts, on Monday. The party central leaders also distributed leaflets in the city and some other parts of the country in the previous days to drum up public support in favour of the long march programme. As part of the programme, the party on Sunday organised the roundtable titled ‘Fair-share of Teesta River Waters: Context Bangladesh’ at a hotel in the city. Mirza Fakhrul said that his party would make the people conscious of their national interest. The party also plans to involve the people in its movement to press for an equal share of water of the 54 common rivers, including the Teesta and the Padma.. The BNP spokesman said that the BNP-led 19-party alliance also extended their support to the long march programme.
