BNP men start gathering at Nayapaltan ahead of Thursday's rally
Additional police have been deployed in the area
A number of leaders and activists of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) were gathering in front of the party's office in the capital's Nayapaltan on Wednesday afternoon ahead of their rally scheduled to be held on Thursday (27 July).
However, earlier on the day, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) denied the BNP permission to hold its rally in Dhaka's Suhrawardy Udyan, or Nayapaltan and suggested Golapbagh playground as a venue.
Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie, central publicity secretary of BNP, told The Business Standard, "We are hoping that the administration will cooperate with us to hold a rally at Nayapaltan. Our preparations are going on to hold the rally there."
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Additional police personnel have been deployed in the area to avert any untoward incident.
Meanwhile, the DMP is yet to give permission to the ruling Awami League and Islami Andolan Bangladesh to hold their rallies in the capital on Thursday.
Awami League's affiliated organisations – Jubo League, Chhatra League and Swechchasebak League – are set to hold a peace rally at the south gate of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque at 3pm on 27 July.
Earlier on 22 July, the BNP announced a grand rally in the capital on 27 July to press home their one-point demand for a non-partisan polls-time government.
The Islami Andolon Bangladesh also announced to hold a rally in Dhaka on the same day, demanding the government's resignation.
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 grand rallies in Dhaka on the same date separately.
