BNP's 2nd march from Jatrabari to Jurain begins

As part of BNP's four-day programme, the leaders and activists of its Dhaka South City unit started marching towards the capital's Jurain rail gate area from Jatrabari to press home their 10-point demand, including holding the next general election under a non-party caretaker government.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir formally inaugurated the programme in front of Jatrabari Ideal School around 2:50pm on Monday.

It is the second such programme of BNP as the leaders and activists of the party's Dhaka North City unit marched from Badda to Malibagh in the capital on Saturday.

In a brief address prior to launching the march, Fakhrul asked the party leaders and activists to hold the programme peacefully as they did all other previous programmes.

He, however, warned the ruling party not to consider BNP's peaceful programmes as its weakness. "A strong resistance will be put up if our programme is obstructed."

The BNP leader also said they will achieve the final victory by ousting the current government through peaceful programmes with the involvement of the common people.

Fakhrul said they have begun a new chapter of the movement through the march programme for the restoration of democracy and people's voting and other rights. "This march is a triumph of democracy and civilisation."

He said the ruling party leaders are now making unguarded remarks as they have lost the grounds beneath their feet after getting isolated from people.

Stating the ruling party's various "evil" efforts to ensure the victory of Advocate Abdus Sattar, a former MP and sacked BNP leader, in the Brahmanbaria-2 constituency by-polls, Fakhrul said no fair election can be held as long as Awami League is in power.

"So, the Awami League government must hand over power to a caretaker government after quitting and dissolve parliament so that people can cast their votes under a new election commission," Fakhrul said.

Thousands of leaders and activists of BNP and its associate bodies joined the programme, carrying banners, national, party and white flags, festoons and portraits of the party's top leaders.

A huge number of law enforcers have been deployed to maintain law and order and fend off any untoward incidents.

Earlier on Thursday, BNP announced the four-day march programme in the capital for 28, 30, 31 January and 1 February.

Dhaka North City unit BNP will also march from Gabtoli to Mirpur-10 intersection on 31 January.

Besides, Dhaka South City unit BNP will march from Mugda to Malibagh on 1 February.