The BNP will hold a public rally at the Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital today under its own banner although it earlier announced the programme as an 18-party initiative “to thank people for rejecting the January 5 poll.”
The party has decided to hold the rally alone as a strategy for keeping distance from Jamaat-e-Islami in the wake of criticisms both at home and abroad for the recent countrywide violence by activists of Jamaat, BNP’s key partner in the alliance, said some party sources.
The decision came as a surprise to many of the alliance leaders as it was made without consultation with them.
“Monday’s programme will be held under the party’s banner as it is BNP’s own programme,” Asaduzzaman Ripon, international affairs secretary of the party, told journalists at a press briefing at the party’s Nayapaltan headquarters yesterday.
Seeking anonymity, a leader of the alliance told the Dhaka Tribune that a rally – the first after the election – without the presence of other alliance partners would create confusion and suspense within the alliance.
“The government will try to snap the ties [with alliance partners], so the BNP has to move forwards tactfully,” the leader said.
A senior BNP leader, however, said although the programme would be held under the banner of the BNP, the alliance partners could attend it. “Anyone can join the programme. Alliance leaders and some other party leaders might join the programme to express their solidarity.”
Bangladesh Labour Party Chairman Mustafizur Rahman Iran told the Dhaka Tribune: “Alliance chief Khaleda Zia has finalised the programme. So, if we are excluded from it, we should be told so, but we are yet to be informed.
“The BNP’s letterhead pad is used for all applications [of the alliance], probably that is why the permission has been given to the BNP.”
The application for the alliance’s last rally at the Suhrawardy Udyan on October 25 was submitted in the BNP’s letterhead pad, but all alliance partners attended the rally and their leaders spoke there.
The Dhaka Metropolitan Police gave the BNP permission for holding the rally under 12 conditions, said Abdul Latif Jony, party’s assistant office secretary. The programme will start at 2pm.
Earlier, the BNP-led 18-party alliance wanted to hold a rally in front of the BNP’s Nayapaltan headquarters on December 29 to mark its “March for Democracy” programme. But BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia was barred from coming out of her home and many senior leaders were either in jail or in hiding and the alliance failed to hold the rally.
Massive preparations have been made to make today’s programme successful and some leaders said the programme would aim at showing the party’s strength. BNP Vice-Chairman Abdus Salam told the Dhaka Tribune that Khaleda Zia would give important directives at the programme.
At a press conference on January 15, Khaleda said: “On Monday January20, we will formally thank the democracy-loving people of the country by holding public meetings in every town, upazila, district and divisional headquarters. The central public meeting will be held at the Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka.”
BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has already sat with party leaders in the capital and adjacent districts to make today’s rally successful. Letters have been sent to all ward and upazila units of the party to join the rally.
A party insider said apart from the 18-party alliance leaders, other like-minded parties such as Bikalpadhara Bangladesh, Krishak Sramik Janata League, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Rob) might also attend the programme.
Kazi Zafar, chairman of a Jatiya Party faction, held a meeting with Khaleda at her Gulshan office on Saturday and expressed solidarity with the BNP programme.