BNP’s today’s rally at Suhrawardy Udyan, marking the civil-military “uprising” on November 7, 1975, headed towards uncertainty as the party did not get the formal permission as of 10pm yesterday.
The party decided to hold an emergency press conference at its Nayapaltan central office at 11am today to brief about its latest stance over the rally.
BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir will address the press conference, said BNP Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.
Talking to reporters at BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office yesterday night, he said: “Now it is 10pm, but we still did not get the permission for the rally. Our party acting secretary general will announce the next course of action at a press conference at 11am tomorrow (today).”
Party sources said Fakhrul sat with some leaders of the city unit BNP leaders at the Gulshan office around 8pm and worked out the party’s possible action programmes if the authorities finally deny them the permission.
Earlier, two senior BNP leaders - party joint secretary general Barkatullah Bulu and former Dhaka city unit BNP member secretary Abdus Salam - waited for over an hour at the office of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) yesteday evening for the permission, but their wait went in vain.
Salam said they were not given the permission for the rally as of 9pm.
Contacted, DMP Deputy Police Commissioner (media) Masudur Rahman said: “Suhrawardy Udyan is under Public Works Department (PWD). We will provide necessary security and permission for using the loudspeakers if the PWD authorities allow them to hold the rally there.”
He said they will also allow BNP to hold an indoor rally in the city if the party wants to do so.
Salam, however, said the PWD authorities told them that they will allow BNP to hold the rally if the DMP allows it to use loudspeakers.
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia is scheduled to address the rally today in the afternoon.
