BNP books all Sylhet community centres ahead of divisional rally

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party has booked most community centres of Sylhet for 18 November night ahead of the divisional rally to be held the next day, according to multiple sources.

Fearing transport strikes much like all the previous divisional rallies of BNP, leaders and activists of the party plan to reach Sylhet a day ahead of the rally and stay in the community centres.

When a local of Kadamtali area, Tayef Ahmed, went to book a community centre for his pre-wedding rituals (holud) on 18 November night he found all of them to be booked.

He said, "As I could not find any community centre for booking on 18 November so I will hold my ceremony at a restaurant."

After visiting at least eight community centres in Sylhet, including Agra, Malancha, Nure Ala, and Sajid Ali, this reporter found that all of them were booked for 18 November night on behalf of BNP Central Executive Committee Member and Mayor of Sylhet City Corporation Ariful Haque Choudhury.

Mayor Ariful is also the Convener of Housing Management Committee for the divisional rally to be held on 19 November.

BNP leaders said that if the situation is normal, the leaders and activists of the department will come to Sylhet on the morning of the rally.

However, as transport strikes were called two days before the rally in other divisions, alternative arrangements are being made assuming that this may also happen in Sylhet.

In this case BNP leaders will come to Sylhet earlier. They will stay in the community centres of the city.

A leader of Sylhet district BNP said on condition of anonymity that at least 25 community centres of the city have been booked for the night of 18 November 18 on behalf of Mayor Ariful Haque Choudhury. There is provision of accommodation and food for the workers.

Apart from this, arrangements are being made for the workers-supporters to spend the night in the open fields of the city.

Mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury could not be reached for comment.

Sylhet district BNP President Abdul Qayyum Chowdhury said that the government had called a strike in all the divisions where BNP had held divisional rallies so far.

"We fear that this may also happen in Sylhet. So, we have already prepared various alternative arrangements," he added.