In an unusually low turnout, only a few hundred BNP leaders and activists showed up at on Thursday’s rally at Suhrawardy Udyan, which BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia chose to address for the first time through a video message.
Top and mid-ranking leaders of the associate and the front bodies of main opposition BNP, who commonly led such programmes, remained absent at the rally.
Senior leaders of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal and Jubo Dal told the Dhaka Tribune that the party chief asked the associate and front bodies’ leaders not to attend the rally and at the same not to go to the Gulshan office.
“Rizvi vai [Ruhul Kabir Rizvi] phoned me and said madam [Khaleda Zia] has instructed us not to attend on Friday’s rally and also not to go to the chairperson’s Gulshan office. The next course of action will be informed later,” a Jubo Dal leader, seeking anonymity, told the Dhaka Tribune.
When contacted, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, joint secretary general of the party, said: “Things are not like that. A cautionary message was sent. It [the message] said to stay safe as the law enforcers are in aggressive mood.”
Mahfuj Ahmed, a Chhatra Dal leader, said the associate and front bodies were the nucleus of a party to wage street movement. “Attending the rally and getting arrested by law enforcers will not bring any success to the movement. That is why the leaders avoided the rally.”
Not only the front and associate bodies, but also many of the Dhaka city unit leaders remained absent at the rally.
“Police is targeting us and might arrest anytime. That is why we are not attending the programme,” said a ward commissioner, preferring not to be named.
Explaining the possible reason behind the low turnout, a party supporter named Mamun Mia said: “Madam is not here. That is why top leaders and activists did not come here. Usually leaders throng the venue with activists and supporters to show their strength. As madam is not here who will see the strength?”
During the opposition alliance’s 60-hour nationwide hartals, none of the senior BNP leaders, especially the Dhaka city unit leaders, were seen on the capital’s streets; although they chanted slogans vowing not to leave the streets till their demands were met.
When asked about the issue, Abdus Salam, member secretary of Dhaka city unit BNP, said: “Police do not allow us to stay for a minute on the streets and open fire; then how will you bring out any procession?”
After the second spell of the 60-hour hartal, party’s acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday claimed that four activists were killed, 6,000 were injured, 1,707 were arrested and 26,000 were accused in cases during the hartals.
