The main opposition BNP-led 18-party alliance is staging a rally at Suhrawardy Udyan in protesting what they see to be the government’s repression of the opposition leaders and activists.
BNP Dhaka city unit convener Sadeque Hossain Khoka is presiding over the rally.
BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Khandakar Mosharraf Hossain, MK Anwar, Abdul Moin Khan, Barrister Jamiruddin Sircar, Abdullah Al Noman are present at the rally.
Earlier on Wednesday, the party was granted permission on 11 conditions. The party applied for permission to hold the rally in front of the party’s Nayapaltan headquarters but Dhaka Metropolitan Police Authorities granted permission to hold it at the Suhrawardy Udyan.
After enforcing the 60-hour country-wide shutdown, the party’s acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced on wednesday that they would also offer Gayebana Namaz-e-Janaza on Friday, to seek divine blessings for those killed during the general strike.
Earlier on October 25, the 18-party alliance led by the main opposition BNP, staged a grand rally at the same venue where the opposition BNP Chief announced a 60-hour country-wide hartal starting at 6am on October 27 if the government did not initiate talks regarding polls-time government by October 26.
In response to the leader of the opposition’s call for a dialogue, the Prime Minister, on October 26, talked to the BNP Chairperson and invited her to dinner for talks on October 28 at Ganabhaban. The premier also requested that she cancel the 60-hour shutdown, but the BNP chief refused and declared to join the dialogue after the hartal.
