Shawdesh Desk: Having failed to hold its scheduled rally in the city due to ‘obstruction’ by the police on the first anniversary of the 11th parliamentary election, BNP on Monday announced that it will stage demonstrations in the capital on Tuesday.

Party senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi came up with the announcement at a press conference at the party’s Nayapaltan central office on Monday.

As part of its countrywide programme, the party was scheduled to hold a rally in front of its Nayapaltan central office in the capital at 2pm to observe what it says ‘democracy-killing day’.
“BNP had announced to hold a rally in the city today (Monday) to mark democracy-killing day. But the government has become so scared that it is not allowing us to stage our peacefully rally,” Rizvi said.

He alleged that law enforcers have taken position in front of their party office and its adjacent areas, roads and alleys since morning to foil the scheduled rally programme. “Even, they created a war-like situation in the entire Nayapaltan areas.”

He said Awami League can hold rallies and meetings anytime, anywhere but the opposition parties have no right to do that as the entire country has turned into an empire of the party.

“There’s one person-centered democracy now in Bangladesh where Sheikh Hasina is enjoining the highest freedom of expression while the opposition leaders and activists and dissents have become subhuman due to her misrule,” he said.

In protest against the ‘obstruction’ to today’s rally, Rizvi said their party will stage demonstrations in all thanas of the capital on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the party leaders and activists wore black badges and a black flag was hoisted atop its Nayapaltan central office in observance of the ‘democracy killing day’.
The presence of BNP leaders and activists at the party’s central office was very thin as huge law enforcers have been deployed in the area since morning.

BNP standing committee members at a meeting last week decided to observe December 30 as the ‘democracy-killing day’.

On Sunday, Jatiya Oikyafront staged a demonstration in front of the Jatiya Press Club in protest against the last general election on the eve of its first anniversary.

BNP along with Gonoforum and some other parties joined the national election in alliance under the banner of Jatiya Oikyafront. BNP bagged six seats while Gonoforum two in the election.

The party and its alliances turned down the election results bringing allegations of various irregularities, including ‘massive vote robbery and nighttime ballot stuffing’.

They have also been demanding reelection cancelling the December-30 polls since the announcement of the results.

However, the eight Oikyafront MPs joined parliament.