Rizvi takes to streets demanding BNP leaders' release

BNP Senior Joint Secretary Advocate Ruhul Kabir Rizvi has taken to the street this morning in the capital's Rampura area on the second day of the party's blockade protesting against the recent arrests of party leaders.

"Our movement is the people's movement. A movement to restore democracy and [people's] rights. It cannot be suppressed by threats, killings and repression. This time, the BNP leaders and activists will return home after establishing rights of the people," said the BNP leader while speaking at the blockade.

BNP Senior Joint Secretary Advocate Ruhul Kabir Rizvi has taken to the street this morning in the capital’s Rampura area on the second day of the party’s blockade on 1 November. Photo: TBS

Earlier on 29 October, the BNP and allied organisations announced a three-day nationwide blockade.

Rizvi said the blockades were organised to protest against the arrests of the party leaders, including Mirza Fakhrul, Mirza Abbas and others, the attacks on the 28 October citywide rallies and the killing of numerous party activists.

Following the clash in the 28 October rally and the announcement of hartal the next day, none of the BNP media leaders were quoted in the media. 

During the hartal on Sunday (29 October), no BNP leaders and activists were seen near the BNP's Nayapaltan office after police cordoned off the central office with a crime scene yellow tape in the morning.

It was Rizvi who led the picketing in three Dhaka areas — Shantinagar, Adabar, Gulshan — during BNP's hartal.

As police raided the residents of senior BNP leaders and arrested Mirza Fakhrul, Mirza Abbas and Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal on Sunday, Rizvi announced the three-day nationwide blockade via a virtual press conference. 

BNP's first-day blockade on Tuesday also began with the procession and picketing he brought out on Narayanganj Link Road. He also participated in the procession in Rampura today, the second day of the blockade. 

Sources at BNP said Rizvi sent at least ten letters of protest to the media since the Sunday hartal and held three virtual press conferences. 

He is also in constant communication with journalists. 

This is not the first time Rizvi has taken the streets either. 

During the blockade in 2014, he stayed inside the BNP's Nayapaltan central office for three months straight.