5th phase of blockade: BNP, Jamaat hold rallies in parts of Dhaka
On the second day of the fifth phase of the nationwide blockade, various units of Bangladesh Jatiotabadi Chatra Dal and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami organised procession marches in different parts of the capital.
One faction of BNP's student wing, Chhatra Dal, initiated a rally from Sayedabad Janapad to Dholaipar Community Center in the morning.
The rally witnessed the participation of JCD central leaders such as Vice President Tanjil Hasan, Joint Secretary HM Abu Jafar, Assistant General Secretary Bayezid Hossain, and Ruhul Amin Himel, alongside several local leaders and activists.
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The procession ended in front of Dholaipar Community Center encountering a police barrier.
Simultaneously, another group led by former Dhaka University Chhatra Dal convener Mohammad Rakibul Islam Rakib marched from Segunbagicha Shilpakala Academy gate to Motsho Bhaban.
Leaders and activists from BNP's student wing voiced their resistance to the Election Commission's recently announced schedule for upcoming polls on 7 January and supported the ongoing blockade through various slogans.
They sat together and occupied the roads around Shilpakala Academy to reinforce the blockade.
Meanwhile, the Kabi Nazrul Government College faction of Chhatra Dal brought out another rally holding a banner that reads "Repairs are underway for the state; We're sorry for the temporary inconvenience."
Jamaat on the other hand brought out processions in the capital's Moghbazar, Hatirjheel, Tejgaon, Mirpur, Kafrul, Pallabi, Gendaria, Khilgaon, Rampura and Uttara areas on Thursday (16 November).
Jamaat Central Majlis Shura Member and Dhaka Metropolitan North Assistant Secretary Dr Fakhruddin Manik led a procession in Kafrul area.
"The government has launched an all-out war against the people by announcing the election schedule to cheat the people and steal votes," he said.
Jamaat workers tried to block roads in the Pallabi area and held a procession led by Nasir Uddin, a member of Jamaat's Working Council of Dhaka Metropolitan Nort.
Procession marches have been held in support of the blockade in Mirpur, Uttara, Tejgaon, and Hatirjheel areas.
Jamaat-e-Islami Dhaka Metropolitan South organised a procession and tried to block roads in the Sonirakhra area.
Central Majlis Shura member and Dhaka Metropolitan South Assistant Secretary Muhammad Kamal Hossain led the procession.
Leaders and activists of Jamaat-e-Islami Dhaka Metropolitan South tried to block the Rampura-Bansree road in the Khilgaon area.
Meanwhile, the Jamaat-e-Islami Dhaka South unit tried to block the railways near Gendaria railway station in the capital.
Earlier, at a virtual press briefing on Monday, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi announced the fifth round of blockade of roads, rail lines, and waterways to press home the party's one-point demand – resignation of the government and elections under a non-partisan neutral administration.
The blockade will be enforced from 6am Wednesday to 6am on Friday, Rizvi said.
Jamaat also expressed its solidarity with the BNP programme in a press release, signed by its acting secretary general ATM Masum, issued on Monday right after BNP's announcement.
