Police clear BNP supporters from Nayapaltan area

Police have dispersed BNP activists who gathered at the party's headquarters in Dhaka's Nayapaltan area ahead of tomorrow's grand rally.
The BNP supporters gathered there as soon as the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) nodded to the party's request to hold its grand rally there.

Around 9pm, BNP chairperson's advisor and Dhaka Metropolitan North convener Aman Ullah Aman arrived in front of the Nayapaltan office and instructed the partymen to clear the road and make way for vehicles to pass.
He asked them to clear the area in front of the party office and reconvene there tomorrow.
Despite the instruction, the BNP activists were still present in the area, keeping the road partially open for traffic movement.
Later, police removed the BNP supporters from the roads around 10pm.

Addressing the gathering, Aman expressed concerns that government agencies may cause trouble during tomorrow's rally.
Meanwhile, preparations are underway to set up a temporary stage for the grand rally. Four trucks are being used to construct the stage on the road in front of the BNP office, with two additional trucks parked nearby to assist with the setup, our correspondent reports from the spot.

Numerous members of the BNP and its affiliate organisations from across the country arrived in Dhaka to attend the party's grand rally, which was initially scheduled to take place on Thursday. As the programme was delayed by a day, many of them were seen gathering in front of the party office.
Police presence was heavy in front of the BNP's head office in Nayapaltan since morning on Thursday, according to our correspondent.
Armed with riot cars and military vehicles, members of the security forces were seen dispersing activists of the party. However, there was no disruption to traffic.