Tensions simmer again as AL, BNP announce rallies for 27 July

The political atmosphere is heating up again as both the ruling Awami League and the opposition BNP have announced programmes in the capital for the same day.

After the BNP announced a "grand" rally in the capital on 27 July to press home their one-point demand for the government's resignation, Jubo League, the youth wing of AL, announced a counter-rally on the same day.

According to BNP sources, the opposition is taking the movement towards its final phase and has decided on holding successive Dhaka-centric programmes from now on.

The party's supporters have been ordered to reach Dhaka two or three days before the rally as BNP leaders fear the government may stop mass transports on the day to prevent the rally.

Besides the BNP, 37 like-minded parties, including the Gonotontro Moncho, 12-party alliance, Nationalist Alliance, Gono Odhikar Porishod (Reza Kibria), LDP, Gono Forum, and Democratic Left Unity Alliance, have also decided to hold rallies in Dhaka on the same day separately.

Meanwhile, the Jubo League in a press release on Sunday announced that they would hold their 24 July "Youth Victory" rally on 27 July at the southwest gate of Baitul Mokarram Mosque.

Besides, Awami League and its various organisations are also planning to hold separate programmes on the day depending on the situation, Awami League sources said.

Jubo League General Secretary Mainul Hossain Khan Nikhil told The Business Standard that their "Youth Victory" rally is aimed at highlighting the current government's success in the country's development programmes.

Heated speeches

The simmering political atmosphere was also felt through various speeches of the leaders of the two parties.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir at a press conference on Sunday accused the government of infringing on people's rights through "digital shutdowns".

Fakhrul said, "The AL government has been trying to suppress their movement through various human rights violations, including extrajudicial killings, disappearances, murders, imprisonment, oppression, torture, and false cases against activists."

Besides, addressing a youth rally on Saturday, Dhaka Metropolitan North BNP convener Aman Ullah Aman warned, "No more protests, from now on we will build resistance against all injustices."

At the same event, Dhaka Metropolitan South BNP convener Abdus Salam said, "We are no longer afraid of prison and oppression. The people have vowed not to leave the streets until the fall of this tyrannical government."

Meanwhile, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan at an event at Dhaka Reporters Unity on Sunday said BNP is causing suffering to the people by holding programmes every other day. 

The minister said, "We have no objection to the programmes but there cannot be public sufferings in the name of political agenda, roads should not be blocked and traffic disrupted."