The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Tuesday said that it
would hold a rally marking the Victory Day at the Suhrawardy Udyan on
December 15.
BNP standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan said this at a briefing
at the party chairperson’s Gulshan office, announcing the programme
marking the Victory Day (December 16) and Martyred Intellectuals Day
(December 14).
He said that the BNP would observe Martyred Intellectuals Day on
December 14 and pay tribute and place wreaths at the Martyred
Intellectuals Graveyard at Mirpur in the capital at 9:00am. BNP would
organise a discussion in the afternoon on the day commemorating the
martyred intellectuals.
He said protest processions and meetings at unions, upazilas, districts
and metropolitan cities would be held on December 15 pressing for
resignation of the prime minister and holding election under a non-party
government.
Nazrul said that in the capital, instead of prescheduled protest
procession, the party would hold a rally at Suhrawardy Udyan at 2:00pm
on December 15 marking the Victory Day to be observed on December 16.
He said that the BNP would observe the Victory Day in a befitting manner
across the country on December 16. In Dhaka the party would pay tribute
and place wreaths at National Memorial at Savar at 6:30am and leaders
and activists of the party led by BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia would pay
tribute at the graveside of late president Ziaur Rahman at 8:30am on the
day.
Asked whether they are hopeful of consensus following UN envoy Oscar
Fernandez-Taranco’s intervention, Nazrul said that they hoped that good
sense would prevail and the government would agree to hold a free and
neutral election under a non-party neutral government.
Nazrul said that the ‘fascist’ Awami League government paying no heed to
the peoples’ demand was trying to cling to power through holding
election under a blueprint by the Election Commission loyal to it.
He reiterated that credible and peaceful election acceptable to all was
not possible anyway under the incumbent Election Commission. (source)