The BNP ended its first day's program under the one-point movement demanding the government's resignation Tuesday, saying that the next event will be bigger.
At the end of the road march at Old Dhaka's Raisaheb Bazar intersection, BNP Standing Committee member Mirza Abbas said: “We will demand the rights of the people of this country unitedly. Those who have managed to make such a big march can make this government resign. Tomorrow's (today) march will be even bigger.”
He said: “No one could have staged such a big political march. Our march programs across the country were peaceful today. But we were attacked in front of Bangla College. Our supporters reacted in such a way that the attackers ran away.”
Tuesday road march took place at various points in the city from 11am, starting from Gabtoli and ending in Old Dhaka at 6pm. Party activists joined the march, chanting anti-government slogans.
Around 11:30am, they locked into a clash with the leaders and activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League near Mirpur Bangla College. The clash also spread to the college campus, when a motorcycle and a bicycle were torched.
Similarly, other political parties aligned with the BNP commenced their respective marches from different locations across the capital, with the concluding point at Paltan. In addition to Dhaka, the BNP supporters marched in all districts and cities of the country, triggering clashes with the police and ruling party members. In Laxmipur, one BNP activist was killed during the clashes.
The march took place from Gabtoli-Technical Junction-Mirpur 1-Mirpur 10-Kazipara-Shewrapara-Taltala (Agargaon) to Bijoy Sarani-Karwan Bazar-FDC-Moghbazar-Malibagh-Kakrail-Naya Paltan-Fakirapool-Matijheel (ShaplaChattar)-Ittefaq Mor-Dayaganj via Bahadur Shah Park areas.
The BNP and allies launched the nationwide two-day march to demand the government's ouster and the restoration of a non-partisan neutral administration to oversee the national election due after five to six months.
On the other hand, the Awami League held a rally in front of the Institute of Engineers, Bangladesh followed by processions.
The political programs created huge tailbacks on different streets of the capital, causing sufferings for commuters.
Today, the BNP activists will march from Abdullahpur to Jatrabari (Crossroads) via Badda and Khilgaon.
Earlier, during the pre-march rally at Gabtoli Mazar Road, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said that the party's march procession is not just any ordinary road march, rather it is a victory march.
"This is our march to claim our rights; the only demand is the immediate ousting of the government," the BNP leader said.
He further added that the people of the country no longer want to see this government in power or any election conducted under its administration.
Fakhrul claimed: "I observed the by-elections in the Dhaka 17 constituency. The Awami League's heavyweight think tank was on one side, and Hero Alom was on the other side. The polling stations were empty, and there was no presence of voters anywhere... The Election Commission is ineffective."
He said: “According to their calculations, only 11% of the votes were cast. But when we watched television, we saw that there were no voters anywhere."
He mentioned that Hero Alom, who is not a political figure, was also subjected to physical assault.
"In 2014, some 154 candidates were elected unopposed, and in 2018, votes were cast at night. Now they are putting the people of the country in danger and raising taxes."
Expressing concern about the dengue situation, Mirza Fakhrul criticized the foreign tours by the health minister and the Dhaka mayor.