The mass sit-in program, by the BNP and other like-minded opposition parties, alliances and organizations began today in the capital and other divisions in the county as part of the simultaneous movement against the current government.
The four-hour program began at 10 am and will continue till 2 pm — separately by opposition parties — to realize their 10-point demand, including holding the next polls under a non-party neutral government.
Leaders and activists of BNP and other like-minded opposition parties have already gathered in Naya Paltan.
It is the second program of the simultaneous movement after the mass procession by the 33 opposition parties on December 30.
BNP leaders said the program was worked out for January 11 keeping in mind the political changeover that took place on that day in 2007 - an episode popularly known as “1/11” in the country.
BNP vice chairman Dr AZM Zahid Hossain along with party law affairs secretary Kaiser Kamal met Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Khandker Golam Faruq on Tuesday and they got permission for observing the sit-in program in front of their party's Naya Paltan central office from 10-am to 2pm.
CollectedDMP Commissioner Khandker Golam Faruq said they urged BNP to observe the program keeping traffic movement normal. "They (BNP) have to take the responsibility if there is a disruption in traffic."
BNP senior leaders, including secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, standing committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain and Mirza Abbas, will address the program.
Besides, Ganatantra Mancha will hold the program in front of the Jatiya Press Club while the 12-Party Alliance at Bijoy Nagar Water Tank, Jatiyatabadi Samamona Jote at Purana Paltan, LDP at FDC crossing and Ganatantrik Bam Oikya in the east side of the Jatiya Press Club and Gonoforum (Montu) at Arambagh.
Though Bangladesh Jamaat Islami joined the mass procession program with BNP and other parties on December 30, the Islamist party has decided not to observe the sit-in program due to a strategic region, said a senior leader of the party.
After the sit-in, the opposition parties and alliances are likely to announce a fresh program to intensify the simultaneous movement.
Besides, BNP senior leaders will take part in the mass sit-in program in different divisions.
As per the plan of BNP, party standing committee members Gayeshwar Chandra Roy will lead the program in Sylhet Division while Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan in Rajshahi, Nazrul Islam Khan in Mymensingh, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury in Chittagong, Selima Rahman in Barisal, and Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku in Rangpur, Vice-Chairmen Barkat Ullah Bulu in Comilla, Shamsuzzaman Dudu in Khulna and Advocate Ahmad Azam Khan in Faridpur.
Earlier on December 30, BNP and 32 other like-minded opposition parties staged a mass procession program in different parts of the capital and Rangpur city as the first program of the simultaneous movement.