Despite having permission from authorities concerned, BNP yesterday was barred by law enforcement from holding their gathering at the capital’s Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh, reasoning that the venue authority had cancelled their booking.
Party leaders and activists were seen gathering at the venue to join the rally, organised by Dhaka city unit BNP at 4pm, where party Chairperson Khaleda Zia was expected to deliver a speech regarding the recent killings and abductions in the country before civil society members.
Since the morning, decorators were seen preparing the venue for the gathering which was expected to be attended by diplomats, senior journalists, businessmen, members from different professions and the civil society.
At 11:30am, law enforcement reportedly came to the venue and asked decorators to stop working as the hall allocation had been cancelled. However, no one was found available to comment on the police action.
“We have the permission and the hall authority did not tell us anything about the cancellation of hall booking. Police came to the venue and shouted at the decorators to stop working. They also told us that we cannot hold our programme as the hall authority had cancelled our booking,” Dhaka city unit BNP leader Abdus Salam, who was present at that time, told the media.
Contacted, Ramna police station Assistant Commissioner Shibli Noman said: “The hall authority had cancelled their booking. So, they cannot hold the gathering.”
Meanwhile, a large number of policemen, including female police personnel, were seen taking position in front of the venue gate. All entry gates of the venue were locked down.
However, leaders and activists of BNP were seen gathering at the venue, later sat down in front of the venue waiting for party’s acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir arrival.
At 2:30pm, police created a human chain in front of the main entry gate to bar BNP leaders and activists from entering the venue. A prison van was brought to the scene.
The law enforcers repeatedly asked BNP senior leaders and activists to leave the venue premises immediately, but the leaders insisted that they would leave by 4pm.
Before leaving the venue, Fakhrul harshly criticised the government for not allowing them to hold the gathering and further claimed that such incidents prove that the government wants to rule the country using its law enforcement.
While Fakhrul was talking to the media, a German delegation arrived at the venue. Later, Fakhrul had a talk with the delegation members.
Barrister Rafiqul Haque, who arrived at the venue at 4pm, told reporters: “I think it is everyone’s duty to rescue the country from the existing situation. We should not see which party is doing what, rather the civil society should view the situation as a whole.”
Earlier, BNP was denied holding rallies in Jatrabari and Narayanganj to protest against the abduction and killing of seven people in Narayanganj.
