BNP has already suffered half defeat ahead of the national polls by not being able to hold their Saturday's Dhaka rally at Naya Paltan, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader has said.
The road transport and bridges minister made the statement at an event in Savar on Saturday.
Obaidul Quader said: "The Naya Paltan office did not get permission for the rally. What did they (BNP) do before they got permission? They had taken preparation. Police found 160 sacks of rice, pots and utensils, mosquito nets. They wanted to start a picnic at Naya Paltan.”
Claiming that BNP had attacked the police on Wednesday, the Awami League leader said: "If BNP Attack the police, will the law enforcers just stand there and have lollipops?" Police have to defend themselves.”
He said: “I know which businessmen and industrialists are giving money to BNP. Those who are giving money to this picnic are being investigated. Where does the money come from? We know how much money the businessmen are paying. BNP is having a picnic with those money. They did the same during other rallies across the country.”
Law enforcement officials arrested several senior leaders of the BNP on Wednesday, hours after violent clashes between the police and opposition supporters left one dead and around 20 others injured in Naya Paltan area.
Tension was mounting for the last few days regarding the stalemate over selecting the venue for the Dhaka rally, the 10th mass rally, in line with the BNP's movement to restore a non-party interim government and release of party chief Khaleda Zia ahead of the general elections slated for January 2024, and to protest the rising prices of essentials and fuel oils.
While the BNP leaders maintained that they would not hold the rally anywhere other than Naya Paltan, police permitted the party to arrange the event at the historic Suhrawardy Udyan.
On Friday, BNP finally got the permission to hold the rally on Golapbagh ground from Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).
