Election campaign begins: Tarique in Sylhet; Shafiqur goes to North tomorrow
This is Tarique's first trip outside Dhaka since returning to the country.
As the official election campaign for the upcoming national election begins yesterday (21 January), BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman is launching his campaign from Sylhet, regarded as the holy land.
This is his first trip outside Dhaka since returning to the country. During the visit, he will address seven consecutive election rallies.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman will begin his campaign through door-to-door outreach and a public rally in his own constituency, Dhaka-15. He is scheduled to travel to northern Bangladesh tomorrow and will tour the region on 23 and 24 January.
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Tarique Rahman in Sylhet
To kick off the campaign, Tarique Rahman arrived in Sylhet late last night by air along with his wife, Dr Zubaida Rahman. He departed Dhaka at 7:20pm on a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight. Later, he paid respects at the shrines of Hazrat Shahjalal (RA) and Hazrat Shah Paran (RA). Today at 11:30am, he will address an election rally at the Sylhet Alia Madrasa ground.
The BNP has made extensive preparations to ensure the success of Tarique Rahman's Sylhet visit. Initiatives have been taken to draw massive crowds to the party's first election rally. The city has been covered with banners, festoons and billboards, while BNP and its affiliated and associate organisations have been holding processions daily to welcome him.
A 13-member delegation accompanied Tarique Rahman and his wife Dr Zubaida Rahman on their flight from Dhaka to Sylhet on Wednesday night. The delegation includes BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Standing Committee member Nazrul Islam Khan among others.
After concluding the Sylhet rally, Tarique Rahman will address rallies at Ainpur playground in Sherpur of Moulvibazar Sadar upazila, Kuttapara playground in Sarail upazila of Brahmanbaria, Bhairab Stadium in Kishoreganj, a municipal area in Narsingdi, and Gausia in Rupganj of Araihazar upazila in Narayanganj.
Jamaat announces four-day election campaign roadmap
The party's Ameer, Dr Shafiqur Rahman, is starting a four-day election tour from today.
The campaign schedule was announced this evening (21 January) at a press conference held at the party's central office in Moghbazar in the capital by Jamaat's Assistant Secretary General Ehsanul Mahbub Zubayer.
According to the announcement, the first leg of Jamaat's "election train" will begin tomorrow from the Dhaka-15 constituency. Dr Shafiqur Rahman will conduct door-to-door outreach and address a public rally there at 2:30pm.
Tomorrow, he will travel to northern Bangladesh. Starting the day's programme at 11am in Panchagarh, he will address public rallies throughout the day in Dinajpur and Thakurgaon, and will stay in Rangpur in the evening.
On the morning of 24 January, the Jamaat ameer will begin the day in Rangpur by paying respects at the grave of Shaheed Abu Saeed and meeting with his family.
He will then address public rallies in Palashbari in Gaibandha, Bogura town and Sherpur, Sirajganj, and Ullapara, before joining election campaigning in Pabna in the evening.
Party sources said that on Saturday, Shafiqur Rahman will hold a wayside meeting at Mokamtala in Shibganj, Bogura. He will then address an election rally at the historic Altafunnessa playground in Bogura town.
Ehsanul Mahbub Zubayer said further programmes would be announced soon.
