Dhaka – BNP has geared up its preparation to stage a ‘huge showdown’ at Suhrawardy Udyan in the city on November 7 on the occasion of ‘National Revolution and Solidarity Day’, UNB news agency reported.
Party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir is reported to have unveiled the party’s plan and asked its leaders and activists to get ready for it. He was speaking at a joint meeting of Dhaka city unit BNP at Nayapaltan Bhasani auditorium.BNP sources have informed that almost all the active ward and city central level leaders plus the senior leaders of the party have each been implicated in dozens of cases that include charges of ‘subversive’ activities, ‘arson’, ‘setting fire to motor vehicles’ and obstruction to work of police and other law enforcing agencies.
Workers of the party who have managed to secure bail or escape arrest thus remain anxiously busy to present themselves or get represented in courts and avoid arrest. They are reportredly under pressure also from their families and relatives to shun active politics risking so much of risks.
The BNP secretary general said, “We’ve decided to hold a rally at Suhrawardy Udyan on November 7. We’ve already taken permission from the police. We would like to ensure huge mass gathering at our rally to prove that BNP is the country’s number-one party. We’ve to demonstrate that there’s no other bigger party than BNP,” he told the meeting.
The BNP secretary general also directed his party colleagues to strengthen their campaign for the rally at every ward of the city.
On October 20, BNP chalked out a 10-day programme, including a rally at Suhrawardy Udyan, to observe the ‘National Revolution and Solidarity Day,’ marking the civil-military ‘uprising on November 7, 1975’.
Amid political turmoil, soldiers and civilians on November 7, 1975 jointly freed then chief of army staff Ziaur Rahman from captivity in Dhaka cantonment, paving the path for Zia to come to power.
While BNP and its alliances celebrate November 7 as the National Revolution and Solidarity Day, the ruling Awami League and its front organisations consider it as the day of ‘killing of freedom fighters’, while Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD-Rob) observes it as the day of civil-military revolution.
Speaking at the meeting, BNP’s Dhaka city unit convener Mirza Abbas said they will hold a massive rally on November 7. “Our all leaders will have to work together to make our rally a success. We want you all to start working for the programme right after this meeting.”
How far they fare is to be seen. Because not even Mirza Abbas or Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir can guarantee their active workers will be able to operate freely as they have said in the meeting. They repose their hopes on the expectation that those at the helms of power might not disturb this meeting being held just two weeks and a half after the grand 20th national council of the ruling Awami League at the same venue.
