BNP leaders, activists take centre stage in Khulna

Thousands of leaders and activists of the BNP and its associate bodies, defying road and water transport strikes and other obstacles, have joined party's mass rally in Khulna.

The rally, organized by the BNP's Khulna city unit, started on the Sonali Bank premises in the city at around 11:30am on Saturday -- two and half hours earlier than the scheduled time -- with recitation from the Holy Quran, reports UNB.

Senior BNP leaders, including Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and some standing committee members, will likely address the rally.

Party workers and activists from different districts, including Jhenaidah, Chuadanga, Meherpur, Magura and Kushtia, started thronging the rally venue from Friday night and brought out processions at regular intervals.

There are a total of 120 speakers set up across an area of 1.5km from rally stage to the city’s Shibbari intersection, along with projectors at eight points.

Dhaka Tribune

Khulna Metropolitan BNP Member Secretary Shafiqul Alam Tuhin said CCTV cameras had been installed and the rally would be monitored by drone cameras as well. 

Besides, there would be 400 volunteers maintaining discipline at the gathering, he added.

Anup Mandal, a BNP activist from Kushtia, said the city hotels could not accommodate the huge number of supporters who had gathered to attend the rally from different areas, and many had spent the night at the rally venue.

Dhaka Tribune

Ehteshamul Haque Shaon, convener of the rally’s media sub-committee, said activists had been coming to the venue since Friday night. “At the time, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir visited the spot and returned to his hotel. Construction of the stage started there after that.”

Shaon said there had been some difficulties despite the overall festive mood surrounding the rally, referring to the bus and launch strikes. Many activists had to find alternative modes of transportation, including trains, trawlers, easy-bikes, rickshaw vans, while some had reached the venue on foot.

BNP leaders have alleged that the transport strikes were enforced to prevent party supporters from joining the rally. 

Dhaka Tribune

Ashraful Haque Biplab, a former general secretary of Chuadanga’s Parakrishnapur Madana union BNP unit, said: "I went to the station three days ago, but they did not give me a ticket. Finally, our train came at night. On the way, stones were thrown at the train, which injured some of the activists."

Dhaka Tribune

According to the BNP, it is holding mass rallies to reestablish democracy in the country by ensuring the release of Khaleda Zia and the return of her son Tarique Rahman, and to protest against increases in the prices of essentials.

The authorities have deployed additional forces in the area to prevent any untoward incidents.