Big showdown of BNP likely in Dhaka on Saturday

BNP has planned a ‘massive showdown' through a public rally in the capital on Saturday to protest against the arrest and harassment of party leaders and activists.

The party’s Dhaka south and north units will arrange the rally in front of the party’s Nayapaltan central office at 2:30pm.

The rally is also meant for mounting pressure on the government to accept the party’s 10-point demand, including holding the next polls under a non-party neutral government and free party chairperson Khaleda Zia without any condition.

As it is the first programme of their ongoing movement after Eid-ul-Fitr, the party has already taken necessary preparations to ensure a massive turnout of people at the rally.

Ahead of the rally, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Thursday had a joint meeting with the leaders of the party’s Dhaka south and north city units and the associate bodies and directed them to ensure of the huge presence of people at the rally from all wards of the capital.

Party leaders said their party is going to initiate the first phase of the final anti-government movement with Saturday's rally.

From the rally, Mirza Fakhrul will announce rallies in different phases in the party’s 82 organisational districts across the country, in a bid to invigorate the party grassroots.

On Tuesday, BNP standing committee members at a meeting decided to intensify the party’s ongoing anti-government movement with different programmes.

BNP leaders around Dhaka city have also been asked to join the rally with party workers from the adjacent districts.

On Wednesday, BNP acting Chairman Tarique Rahman had a virtual meeting with organisational secretaries of the party and asked them to prepare for the final phase of the movement by removing conflict and misunderstanding among them.

Contacted, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General of BNP Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed said they are taking all-out steps to make Saturday’s rally a success.

"We’re going to hit the streets as part of our final phase of movement against the government. Our programmes will continue until the fall of the government,” he said.