BNP’s rally now on Nov 8

Backing off its rigid stance on holding a rally at Suhrawardy Udyan on November 7, BNP on Thursday said it has now sought permission for staging the programme on November 8.

“We’ve sought permission from the authorities concerned to hold a rally at Suhrawardy Udyan on November 8 to mark the National Revolution and Solidarity Day,” said BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.

Speaking at a press briefing at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office, he urged the authorities concerned to give them permission as early as possible so that they can take proper preparations for it.

Asked what they will do if they are not finally allowed to hold the programme, Rizvi said, “There’s no question of denying us permission. We’ll surely be allowed to hold the programme on November 8.”

Earlier, BNP announced to hold the rally on November 7, but some Awami League leaders threatened to resist it.

In response, Rizvi earlier said they will hold it by any menace asking the ruling party leaders to resist BNP if they can.

Amid political turmoil, soldiers and civilians on November 7, 1975 jointly freed then chief of army staff Ziaur Rahman from captivity in Dhaka cantonment, paving the path for Zia to come to power.

While BNP and its alliance celebrate 7 November as the ‘National Revolution and Solidarity Day’, the ruling Awami League and its front organisations consider it as the day of ‘killing of freedom fighters’, while Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD-Rob) observes it as the day of civil-military revolution.

Rizvi alleged that law enforcers are raiding the houses of BNP leaders and activists and intimidating them to thwart their party’s schedule programmes to observe November 7. “We think it’s not only an undemocratic attitude of the ruling party, but also a heinous example of using the state machinery to protect its illegal power,” he observed.

The BNP leader alleged that the government is playing with the poor in the name of selling per kg rice at Tk 10 as the main motive behind the move is to create a scope for ruling party men to make money.unb