The Bangladesh Nationalist Party and the Bangladesh Awami League are holding separate rallies in different areas of Dhaka on Tuesday, marking the second anniversary of the 5 January elections.
Awami League has arranged two rallies at Bangabandu Avenue and another at Dhanmondi road 32 crossing.
BNP on the other hand will hold a programme in front of its Naya Paltan central office at 2pm.
HM Ershad’s Jatiya Party was scheduled to hold a ‘peace procession for democracy’ in Dholaipar area of the city at 11:30am.BNP’s political ally Jamaat-e-Islami urged all of its units to observe the day by taking out processions, and organising rallies, and discussions.
Both AL and BNP initially announced their rallies at Suhrawady Udyan.
Pleas of both the parties were turned down. Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) mayor Sayeed Khokon in a press conference announced AL and BNP would be allowed to hold their respective rallies at Bangabandhu Avenue and Nayapaltan respectively.
Earlier, AL also announced rallies at 18 spots in the capital, but later said will hold two rallies at Bangabandhu Avenue and Russell Square.
BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia had a meeting with her party’s senior leaders on Monday night to discuss the preparations for the 5 January rally. The party’s acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir earlier on the day also had a joint meeting with the leaders of the party and concerned organisations to discuss the preparations for the party’s 5 January rally.
Since last year, Awami League showcases 5 January as ‘Democracy Saving Day’, while BNP observes the day as ‘Democracy Killing Day’.
DMP in a press release said it permitted BNP to hold their rallies on some conditions. Among the conditions, DMP said BNP should be allowed to hold their programme within the area designated by police and could not be crossed, the loudspeakers could not be used beyond the assigned area, no road blockade is allowed, no procession is allowed, and the rally must end by 5:00pm.
There was nothing said about the AL rallies in the DMP press conference. Talking with DMP deputy commissioner (public relations) Maruf Hasan Sardar on Monday night, who said they were not informed about any restrictions on AL rallies. But later he told journalists at his own initiative that the same restrictions will be also applied on AL rallies. – News Desk
