BNP to hold mourning rally to protest killing of Krishak Dal activist in Dhaka Thursday

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) will hold a mourning rally in Dhaka on Thursday (20 July) to protest the killing of a BNP activist during the party's march programme in Lakshmipur.

BNP Standing Committee Member Mirza Abbas announced the programme during his speech at BNP's march from Utara's Abdullahpur towards Jatrabari in the capital on Wednesday.

The rally will start at 3pm from BNP's Naya Paltan headquarters and end at Maghbazar.

Abbas alleged that the Awami League (AL) cadres attacked BNP's peaceful march programme in different parts of the country on Tuesday, killing a man and injuring many others.

"Inshallah, we will give a befitting reply to the repressions you [AL] carried out on us yesterday across the country," he said.

"Yesterday and today the people of Bangladesh have proved that the country cannot continue under Hasina. The people have risen against the theft and looting of this government," he also said. 

BNP Dhaka Metropolitan South Convener Abdus Salam said, "No matter how hard she tries, Sheikh Hasina cannot destroy BNP. Today's gathering has proved it once again. No one in the country wants to see Sheikh Hasina in power, the whole world also does not want to see Sheikh Hasina in power."

He also said, "Sheikh Hasina will be in jail, just like she has kept Khaleda Zia in jail."

On Tuesday, a man was killed and several hundred activists of the opposition BNP were injured in clashes with the ruling Awami League activists and law enforcers during the BNP's road march across the country, including in the capital.

BNP claimed the deceased, Md Sajib Hossain, 25, was an activist of its farmers' wing Krishak Dal in Lakshmipur. 

It also claimed around 2,000 of its leaders and activists were injured in the clashes.

Meanwhile, many Awami League supporters, police personnel, journalists and pedestrians were also reported injured in clashes across the country.