The BNP’s much-hyped “long march towards Teesta” that began yesterday was the party’s first major demonstration since the January 5 national election.
But, in stark contrast with what the party had been claiming, BNP leaders and activists – especially those at the district levels – accorded the programme with little enthusiasm and participation.
However, BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, leader of the contingent, claimed in a rally at Govindaganj of Gaibandha that the programme’s primary success was proved when India decided to release more water on the day BNP began its long march.
Yesterday afternoon, the flow of water in Teesta was measured to be around five times higher than the flow in the previous weeks.
Water resources specialists say the stronger flow is normal in the last week of April because it is around this time of the year that ice starts melting in the Himalayas.
The Dhaka Tribune reporter, who travelled along with the long march from Dhaka to Rangpur, saw very few archways, banners and festoons in the roadsides – things that usually characterise similar programmes of the party.
The BNP contingent was scheduled to hold a rally at the Mati Dhali intersection in Bogra town at 3:30pm. Around 2:45pm, a local decorator company could be seen trying to put up an archway and a minimalistic stage for the gathering.
Aslam, an employee of the decorator, said they had been told about the meeting in the morning and the work began around noon.
The local ranks of the party would usually start publicising such programmes with loudspeakers a few days before schedule.
Yesterday, however, the publicity began around 12pm, hours before the meeting schedule, said Azizul Hakim, a local businessman who rents out loudspeakers.
When the meeting eventually began, it too was devoid of any substantial support.
Munshi, a local truck driver, said the scorching summer heat could be a reason why people did not come outdoors to take part in the long march.
Nazrul Islam Khan was the only standing committee member of the party to accompany Fakhrul. Among other noted leaders, only Major (retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed, Abdullah Al Noman, Selima Rahman and Osman Farruq were present.
No leader of the other parties belonging to the 18-party alliance could be seen with the long march outfit. Only an ameer of the Bogra unit Jamaat-e-Islami spoke at Mati Dhali meeting, although the chief of the local unit of BNP did not join the rally. BNP’s ally Jaitya Party chief Kazi Zafar sent one of his envoys with the contingent.
Earlier yesterday, the march started off from Azampur in the capital’s Uttara around 9am. Apart from the senior leaders, only about a hundred BNP supporters could be seen around.
The long march took the next stoppage at Kaliakair in Gazipur. The participants seemed to be in a picnic mood. None could tell that it was the party’s first major political programme since January 5.
At one of the many roadside rallies in Kaliakair that Fakrul spoke at during the journey, he said: “The government could bargain for the right to get water from India. But it did not. We cannot expect anything from the government.”
He also said the long march was aimed at creating awareness among people about their rights.
Before the long march started, at a small rally in Uttara, Fakhrul had said the long march was not a move against the government. The motorcade reached Rangpur in the afternoon after having touched Tangail, Sirajganj, Bogra and Gaibandha. The BNP leaders and supporters would stay over at Rangpur for the night and start for Daliya Point in Nilphamari today.
According to Asadul Habib Dulu, organising secretary of Bogra unit BNP, a huge crowd of about three lakh people is expected to join a rally at the Daliya Point today. He said people would come from the all the 16 northern districts to join the programme.