BNP plans to turn Suhrawardy Udyan rally into a show of strength

The BNP plans to break its past records of mass gathering of the party’s leaders, activists and supporters through Sunday's rally in Dhaka’s Suhrawardy Udyan organised on the occasion of the National Revolution and Solidarity Day, November 7. As part of extensive preparations to make the rally successful, BNP also recently held joint meetings with party unit leaders in Dhaka city and surrounding districts Narayanganj, Manikganj, Gazipur, Tangail and Munshiganj. Leaders of the party’s affiliate organisations and Dhaka northern and southern units had also attended those meetings. BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia will address Sunday's rally as the chief guest. The party has also sought all-out cooperation from the government in peacefully holding the rally, which was supposed to be held on Wednesday. It was later shifted to Saturday first and then Sunday for various reasons, including the conference for the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. BNP is organising a public rally of this magnitude in the capital after long-time. Through it, BNP leaders said they want to show the party's popularity and strength as one of the major political parties in the country. The party’s National Standing Committee Member Khandker Mosharraf Hossain said people would participate in the rally spontaneously along with their leaders and supporters. Many leaders have expressed excitement over the rally, which is coming on the heels of Khaleda’s massive showdown in Cox’s Bazar during her visit to the Rohingya refugee camps. The rally’s preparations have also instilled new vigour among the grassroots level leaders and activists, said party sources. Major activity of leaders and supporters had been seen at BNP’s Naya Paltan headquarters in the past few days. BNP supporters think this rally will make BNP more active in the field of politics again, ahead of the 11th parliamentary election. Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said they were nearly done with the preparation for the rally. “BNP will hold this rally peacefully,” said Standing Committee Member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury. “The public cannot be restrained in any way. It has been proved that BNP is the most popular party in this country.” Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, expressing concern, said the gathering in Sunday’s rally at Suhrawardy Udyan would be the biggest if the government does not create any objection. “Government actions that can suppress the opposition cannot be part of a democracy. The government should refrain from these acts and must restore the people’s democratic rights,” he said. BNP leaders, however, have alleged that the law enforcement agencies, following government directive, had arrested numerous party leaders and activists across the country in a bid to stop them from joining the rally.