Leaders and activists of BNP were seen travelling to Rangpur ahead of the party's divisional rally scheduled to be held on Saturday.
Several leaders of Kurigram unit BNP were seen traveling to Rangpur by boats, trains, microbuses, motorcycles and even by autorickshaws since Friday morning, reports Bangla Tribune.
Several thousand BNP men and its associate bodies from different districts under the divisions have already reached the city in advance to join the rally.
BNP is set to hold its fourth divisional rally on Saturday at Collectorate Eidgah ground in Rangpur city.
As per the announcement of the Rangpur District Motor Owners' Association, transport strike began from 6am on Friday, a day before BNP's mass rally in Rangpur.
Movement of all vehicles including Dhaka-bound buses and inter-district transport has been stopped.
Bus ticket counters were seen closed on Friday morning at the Dhaka coach stand in Kamarpara of Rangpur city. All Dhaka-bound buses were seen standing in a row at the bus stand.
BNP central executive committee member and General Secretary of Kurigram unit BNP Saifur Rahman Rana said: "This is a fake transport strike by the government."
“The government has had hold such strikes before, but they cannot be facilitated. The rally in Rangpur will take the form of a grand assembly,” he added.
The leader also claimed that at least 10,000 BNP men and supporters have reached Rangpur from Kurigram till Friday afternoon.
Saturday's rally will be the fourth one by the BNP at the divisional level as the first one was held in Chittagong, the second one in Mymensingh and the third one in Khulna.
Similar rallies have been planned in other divisional headquarters to drum up support in the run-up to the next election expected to be held late next year or in early 2024.
The BNP will conclude the divisional rallies through a mass gathering in Dhaka city on December 10.
