The mass rally of BNP-led 18-party alliance held at Motijheel Shapla Chattar in the city on Saturday afternoon.
The rally began at about 2pm with with Dhaka City BNP convener Sadek Hossain Khoka in the chair.
BNP Chairperson and opposition leader Khaleda Zia reached the venue at about 3:40pm, reports our correspondent.
She announced the next course of action for the 18-party alliance from the rally today.
Earlier in the day, leaders and activists of BNP-led 18-party alliance started gathering at Shapla Chattar in the city. A senior leader of the party seeking anonymity said at least 500,000 opposition activists joined the mass programme.
They are carrying placards, banners and portraits of the party leaders who are now behind jail on different charges. Meanwhile, they are chanting various slogans demanding unconditional release of the party leaders.
Additional police have been deployed in the area to avert any untoward situation, says a source of DMP police.
According to a BNP sources, the gathering is apparently planned to supplement the Dhaka siege event of the Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam on May 5, to which the party has already extended its support.
Activists-cop chase counter chase hurts 6
At least six people, including three police personnel sustained injuries as the rally-bound opposition men engaged in a chase and counter chase with the law enforcers in city’s Dainik Bangla intersection.
The injured police members were rushed to Rajarbagh Police Hospital.
Reduce gap between govt and opposition
Addressing the rally, BNP Standing Committee Member Moudud Ahmed stressed the need for reducing gap between the government and main opposition before holding a dialogue to resolve the ongoing political crisis.
In order to reduce the gap, the government will have to withdraw all the cases filed against the opposition leaders and activists in the last four years and release the detained senior BNP leaders, said Moudud urging the government not to impose obstruction on opposition parties’ rallies and processions in the future.
“In the past, no discussion was successful in the country without specific agenda. If the government declares that the next national elections will be held under a neutral government, then our leader [Khaleda Zia] will definitely respond to any call for dialogue,” he stated.
Absconding Jamaat leader joins the rally
Hamidur Rahman Azad, one of the three Jamaat leaders, absconded in police file since the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) issued arrest warrant against the lawmaker, was seen attending the opposition rally in city’s Motijheel this afternoon.
A Dhaka Tribune correspondent covering the BNP-led 18-party alliance’s rally in city’s Motijheel reports that Azad along with his party men joined the rally with a big procession.
Earlier in April, the ICT-2 charged three leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami, including Azad, with contempt of court for publicly making derogatory comments about the tribunal’s procedure.
Jamaat-Shibir threatened to continue demo
Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Chhatra Shibir threatned to continue their movement until the unconditional release of all detained leaders and activists of the party.
While addressing the mass rally, central secretary of Shibir Abdul Jabbar said: “We will not leave the street until the release of all top party leaders, who are now detained on charge of war crimes.”
Hefazat terms Awami League country’s “Sole Problem”
Mufti Faizullah, coordinator of Hefazat-e- Islam said: “Ruling Awami League is the sole problem of the country. Whenever they assume power, the country faces severe problems.”
He said there is no other alternative to oust the government.
He urged people to take to the street and oust the government.
