Cumilla packed with people ahead of BNP's Saturday rally
Thousands of people from surrounding districts have gathered in Cumilla, two days ahead of the Bangladesh National Party's (BNP) divisional rally on Saturday (26 November).
According to sources, more than one lakh people from neighbouring districts Chandpur and Brahmanbaria and upazilas around Cumilla Sadar have crowded the city till Thursday (24 November) in fear of a sudden transport strike.
Meanwhile, the city hotels are completely booked for 23-25 November. Besides, the incomers inhabited the residences of their kith and kins.
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Cumilla South district BNP convenor and the rally coordinator Haji Amin-Ur-Rashid Yasin said their target is to have over four lakh people participating in the rally.
Yasin said only the stage will be set up in the rally venue while BNP leaders and activists will be stationed from Kandirpar to Tomchambridge, Shwashangacha, Chowkbazar and Faujdari intersection.
Referring to former Pakistani president Ayub Khan's fall due to snatching people's voting rights, BNP leader and former lawmaker Monirul Haque Chowdhury alleged, "Awami League government has taken away people's right to vote and plundered crores of money from banks."
He said the people in the country are extremely agitated, adding, "I played a leadership role in the '69 mass uprising. I think the current situation has surpassed the anarchy people went through back then."
Meanwhile, there has been no announcement of a transport strike in Cumilla till Thursday evening, unlike the previous rallies when transport owners went on strike simultaneously.
Concerned individuals said that the transport strike will not work in Cumilla due to its geographical location. The railway lines of the district are connected with Dhaka-Chattogram, Chattogram-Sylhet, Mymensingh-Chattogram, Noakhali-Dhaka and Chandpur-Chattogram.
Besides, the country's renowned 105 km-long Dhaka-Chattogram highway passes through Cumilla.
If a transport strike is called in Cumilla, the country's economy will take a hard hit. Therefore, the authorities could not reach a consensus about calling a strike.
Jamil Ahmed Khandkar, president of the Cumilla Motors Association, said that no decision has been taken so far by transport owners in this regard.
"Although, a strike is more likely than not," he added.
"We heard there won't be a transport strike. So, party supporters could have attended on the day of the rally. But the government cannot be trusted. We're also hearing from various sources that they might decide to restrict bus movement," Yasin said.
