The BNP has sought permission from Dhaka Metropolitan Police to hold a rally in the capital’s Suhrawardy Udyan on January 5 to mark what the party calls “democracy killing day.”
BNP’s acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir informed reporters about this in a press conference at the party’s Nayapaltan office yesterday.
Before that, a meeting was held among the party’s joint and associate organisations there.
“We recognise January 5, 2014 as the ‘Democracy Killing Day.’ As part of our movement for restoration of democracy and marking January 5, we have decided to hold a peaceful rally on the day at Suhrawardy Udyan,” he said.
Fakhrul also said that apart from the rally in Dhaka, all the district units of the party would observe the day through discussions.
“We hope that the government and the authorities concerned will help make the rally a success and allow systematic continuation of democracy,” he said.
Last year, the BNP and the ruling Awami League both announced programmes for the day. But, apprehending unrest, the authorities denied both parties permission to hold their programmes.
The BNP then lodged a violent anti-government street protest that went on for the next three months, leading to huge losses of lives and properties.
During the three months that the protests went on, party chief Khaleda Zia did not leave her Gulshan office. She then complained of being confined there by the government.
On January 5, 2014, the BNP boycotted the national parliamentary elections, refusing to take part in an election under the then incumbent Awami League government and restoration of the caretaker government system.
In the previous few months, the party and its allies staged a similarly violent street movement to prevent that election but failed, eventually giving Awami League a free run and throwing itself out of parliament for the first time in two and half decades.
