AL, BNP get DMP nod to hold rallies at preferred venues

After much uncertainty and drama, the opposition BNP got the DMP permission to hold a rally in front of the party's Nayapaltan headquarters today. 

The ruling Awami League's front organisations Jubo League, Swechchhasebak League and Chhatra League also got the nod for a "peace rally" at the Baitul Mukarram's South Gate the same day.

There were a lot of speculations throughout yesterday over the fate of the rallies of the two major parties since the events were deferred from Thursday.    

Around noon, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said the two parties will be given the same conditions to stage the rallies. Later in the afternoon, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) issued permission for the gatherings on 23 conditions.

With the two rallies being held simultaneously and close to each other, within a 1km radius, there is a fear of political conflict while DMP officials say immediate action will be taken against anyone who creates anarchy.

The BNP rally will begin at 2pm while the AL at 3pm.

From a meeting on 12 July, the opposition party said they will hold a "grand rally" on July 27 to meet the one-point demand for the ouster of the government. 

The three pro-AL organisations then announced they will occupy the streets through a joint "peace rally" the same day to protest the "killings, conspiracies and anarchy of BNP-Jamaat".

The BNP applied to the DMP for permission for the rally in front of the Nayapaltan central office or at Suhrawardy Udyan. But it's Thursday and the event might cause public inconvenience on the working -- the DMP on Wednesday night on this ground denied permission for these two places. 

The party was advised to shift it to Golapbagh ground in Saydabad.

BNP leaders rejected the suggestion, decided to defer the rally to 28 July and informed the DMP of the decision the same night, mentioning Nayapaltan as the preferred venue. Besides, 40 anti-government parties also announced to hold rallies on Friday.

On the other hand, the three AL affiliates were given permission to hold the "peace rally" at the Baitul Mukarram's south gate on Thursday. But the DMP cancelled the permission on the evening of Wednesday and advised them to go to Dhaka University gymnasium ground or the old trade fair ground in Agargaon.

The organisations picked the old trade fair grounds.

But after BNP changed its rally date, these three organisations also changed their plan. On Thursday morning, they informed the DMP that they would hold the rally at the south gate of Baitul Mukarram on Friday.

And finally, on Thursday afternoon, the DMP commissioner issued permission for holding the two rallies at the parties' desired locations through a press conference.

Earlier in the day, he said, "If we can manage to deploy adequate law enforcers, then permission will be given to hold the rallies in their selected venues." 

After receiving permission for the rally, hundreds of thousands of leaders and workers of the BNP started to gather in front of the Nayapaltan office around 5pm. 

Police officials deployed in the area, however, did not allow any activists to enter the party office. There has been presence of water cannons, riot cars and additional policemen around the BNP office since the morning. 

According to BNP sources, an ultimatum may be given from Friday's rally for the government to resign. It could be 48 or 72 hours.

On Thursday afternoon, BNP Standing Committee member Mirza Abbas said in a press conference, "We are on the verge of victory in the ongoing movement. The BNP can gather hundreds of thousands of people in the capital at an hour's notice."

He also said, "Party chief Khaleda Zia fully supported the one-point demand, and ordered the activists to stay in the movement at any cost."

In addition to gatherings of more than 40 parties including Awami League and BNP in Dhaka on Friday, Jamaat-e-Islami will hold a protest march in the divisional cities outside the capital.

Addressing a press conference, Jubo League General Secretary Mainul Hossain Khan Nikhil yesterday said supporters and activists of the three organisations are ready to thwart the "conspiracy of BNP-Jamaat". 

"I want to say clearly that the country is moving forward under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina. The BNP and Jamaat are trying to destroy the future of the young generation. Jubo League, Swechchhasebak League and Chhatra League are taking to the streets to stop them."