BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia is now on her first tour to the country’s north since the January 5 national election, with observers saying there is a marked improvement in public support compared to the Teesta long march.
This tour is seen solely as serving political purposes and has drummed up considerable public support and enthusiasm in the northern districts.
The Teesta long march – the first major programme of the BNP after the national election – failed to draw the public out although it was staged to push the burning national issue of water sharing. BNP’s acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir lead that programme.
During that programme, this Dhaka Tribune reporter, who travelled along with the long march from Dhaka to Rangpur, saw very few archways, banners and festoons on the roadsides – things that usually characterise similar programmes of the party. However, the supporters in the northern districts are showing much more energy centring the visit of the party chief, says the reporter, who is travelling north once again with the BNP contingent.
Party standing committee member Mirza Abbas is accompanying Khaleda. As is usual with such tours to the north, they are taking a stoppage in Bogra, the hometown of Khaleda’s husband and party founder Ziaur Rahman.
Khaleda is scheduled to speak at a rally in Joypurhat today. Other senior leaders of the party are supposed to join her.