BNP announces countrywide agitation on Sunday

The BNP has called countrywide demonstration programme for Sunday to mark the third anniversary of the January 5 election which it dubs "Democracy Killing Day." BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi made the announcement at a press briefing at BNP's Nayapaltan central office in Dhaka on Saturday.

“We are going for countrywide protests as we have been denied permission to hold the rally in Dhaka and our party leaders and activists were attacked at different parts of the country during the party's black flag procession programme on January 5 marking the 10th parliamentary election day as 'Democracy Killing Day',” Rizvi told reporters at the BNP headquarters. "They (the government) have once again proved that they have shut all the doors and windows of democracy by not allowing us to hold our rally at Suhrawardy Udyan. I, on behalf of BNP, strongly denounce the government's attitude," said Rizvi. As part of their protest against the government action, the BNP leader said their leaders and activists will stage demonstrations and bring out protest processions in all metropolitan cities and district towns across the country on Sunday. Besides, he said, Dhaka city BNP's all thana units will also observe similar programmes on the same day. On December 28, BNP sought permission from the authorities concerned to hold a rally at Suhrawardy Udyan on January 7 marking January 5 as 'Democracy Killing Day'. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Friday urged the government to allow their party to hold its rally either at Suhrawardy Udyan or in front of their central office, but no response came from Dhaka metropolitan police to it. Huge members of law enforcement agencies were deployed in front of BNP's Nayapaltan central office and its adjacent areas since morning. They barred BNP leaders and activists from entering their office. The law enforcers took position in front of the BNP office with armored vehicles, water cannons and a prison vans. However, the presence of police started getting thin after the announcement of BNP's demonstration programme. Rizvi criticised the government for deploying the law enforcers in front of their office and Suhrawardy Udyan. A war-like situation has also been prevailing in Suhrawardy Udyan area since morning, the BNP leader said adding that it seems the government has declared a war against BNP. He alleged that the government is suppressing their party leaders and activists by using law enforcement agencies like their party musclemen. The government now considers police, not people, as the source of power. He warned that the way the ruling party has resorted to repressive acts and put democracy into a 'poisonous gas chamber', it will not find any one to lament for it when it falls in a dangerous situation in the future. The BNP’s election boycott in 2014 helped the ruling Awami League return to power for the second consecutive term.