DMP permits BNP rally at Suhrawardy Uddyan

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police have given the BNP the go-ahead to hold its Wednesday`s rally at Suhrawardy Udyan instead of Naya Paltan in the city.Abdus Salam, Member Secretary to the city unit of the BNP, told bdnews24.com on Tuesday afternoon: “We have been informed by telephone by the police of the permission. We’ll take further measures after discussion with the (party) leaders.”
DMP Deputy Commissioner (media wing) Masudur Rahman told bdnews24.com: “The BNP was given permission to stage the rally at Suhrawardy Udyan venue. But I’m not aware on what conditions they got the permission.”
The chief opposition party was denied permission for a rally at the same place a month ago. On Monday, BNP had said it would hold a rally there on Wednesday.
Earlier at noon, a BNP delegation led by Acting Chief Whip Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie and Salam held a meeting with DMP Commissioner Benazir Ahmed at the detective police’s office over the rally.
Annie told bdnews24.com the law keepers would not allow the rally in front of the BNP office at Naya Paltan and that they advised them to hold the gathering at some auditoriums.
“We’ve sought permission for the rally in any of the venues in Paltan Maidan, Muktangan or Suhrawardy Udyan. The Police Commissioner has said he will inform us on the matter in the afternoon,” he said.
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia from a rally in the city’s Motijheel on May 4 gave the government 48 hours to come up with a specific proposal on the election-time non-party administration.
Later, the BNP-led 18-Party opposition alliance announced they will stage a public meeting in front of the BNP’s central office at Naya Paltan on May 13 after the government snubbed the 48-hour ultimatum and to protest against ‘the attacks on Hifazat-e Islam activists in the early hours of May 6.
After the police denied permission for the rally, the programme was rescheduled for May 15. But as the opposition alliance was refused the nod again, the opposition alliance called a shutdown, but withdrew it later due to the cyclonic storm Mahasen.
Home Minister Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir at a function on May 21 said: “Those who allow intrusion of miscreants in their rally after taking permission to hold it peacefully, repress the people, vandalise vehicles and set fire to shops in the name of rally will not be allowed to hold rally in the next one month.”
But the government later clarified that only terrorists and militants would not be allowed to hold rallies and meetings and that there was no ban on such gatherings organised by political parties either in the past or at present. (Source: bdnews24.com)

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