BNP’s silent road march again comes under ‘attack, obstruction’

The BNP on Saturday held another silent road march programme across the country's upazilas and metropolitan cities amid alleged police obstruction and attacks by ruling party men in some places.

The march programme was also held simultaneously in 50 police station areas across the capital.

BNP's media cell member Shairul Kabir Khan told The Business Standard (TBS) that six BNP leaders and activists were injured when a group of ruling party men swooped on BNP's march in the Turag police station area. 

BNP leader and former lawmaker Syeda Asifa Ashrafi Papia's car was vandalised by Awami League men during BNP's program in Kamrangirchar, he said, adding that the attack left 30 leaders and activists of the party, including Papia, injured.  

Police arrested former Jubo Dal president Saiful Islam Nirab before the procession in Tejgaon Industrial Zone, Shairul Kabir said.

Ruling party men also attacked the house of Dhaka Metropolitan North BNP Joint Convener Md Mostafa Zaman, said the BNP press wing member, alleging that the party's marches in Gazipur and other districts faced police obstruction and arrests.

Meanwhile, the Awami League is also present in the field with counter programmes. The ruling party held marches at every police station in Dhaka and peace rallies at six locations.

The BNP has been staging silent road marches for several months now, demanding lower prices of energy and daily commodities and to press home its 10-point charter, which includes the current government's resignation, dissolution of the parliament, a polls-time nonpartisan caretaker government and the restoration of democracy.

The party announced another human chain programme to be held simultaneously in all cities and districts of the country on 11 March to press home the aforementioned demands.

Announcing the programme at a rally in the capital's Uttara on Saturday afternoon, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said, "The BNP will not allow Awami League's 'mock election' under a constitution that has been shattered by the ruling party."

Pointing out that the next parliamentary election will not be a neutral one under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's leadership, he urged the BNP activists to take the ongoing movement forward.

The price of gas has gone up. As a result, factories are having difficulties maintaining operations. The price of electricity was hiked three times in a few months. Commodity prices keep rising," Fakhrul said, adding that the current government is not able to solve the problems of the people.

BNP Standing Committee member Khandkar Mosharraf Hossain, in a rally before the party's march on Demra Road in Jatrabari on Saturday afternoon, said this government choked democracy because they know that if the people can vote, they will be dragged down from power. That is why, in the 2018 elections, they stuffed ballot boxes the night before the election day.

In a rally before the march in front of the National Press Club on Saturday, BNP Standing Committee member Mirza Abbas said, "This government is doing money laundering, corruption, and creating unrest in various ways. Prices of everything in Bangladesh have gone up but when we demand [to lower prices], the government brings out guns."

The Awami League will cease to exist if elections are held under a non-partisan caretaker government, Mirza Abbas added.

The new human chain programme on 11 March will be the 10th programme announced under its ongoing anti-government movement. Since December last year, the BNP and like-minded parties have been conducting a simultaneous movement through marches, sit-ins, demonstrations and rallies.