BNP promises peaceful rally, pushes for permission

FE Team | Published: January 03, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00

Reiterating that its programmes will be peaceful, BNP on Friday urged the government to permit the 20-party alliance to stage its scheduled rally in the city on Monday, reports UNB.
"Our rally will be peaceful one. We're committed to ensuring democracy and peace. We hope the government will allow us to stage the rally on January 5 for the sake of peace," BNP joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said.
The BNP leader came up with the call while addressing a press conference at the BNP chairperson's Gulshan office.
Rizvi urged the police administration to ensure security for their programme alongside giving permission for it.
Asked what if the government finally denies them permission, Rizvi said, "Holding a rally is our democratic right. We want to clearly state we'll hold our peaceful programme under any circumstances."
He also warned that the government would be held responsible for any evolving situation following the denial of permission for the 20-party programme.
Rizvi said their past peaceful rallies were examples that BNP holds their programmes peacefully.
He said though they had sought permission from the authorities concerned days back, the police administration was unnecessarily buying time to permit them to hold their scheduled rally. "We don't know what's their intention is. "Does the ruling party want to wage a war?"
The BNP leader came down hard on Jatiya Party chairman HM Ershad for making 'offensive' remarks against their party chairperson Khaleda Zia from his party's Suhrawardy Udyan rally on Thursday, and branded him a 'cruel 'Razakar.
However, State Minister for Home Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal has said the BNP will not be allowed to hold any rally on Jan 5 if there were possibilities of acts of sabotage, according to bdnews24.com.
He had earlier said that law enforcers were looking into the matter.
"It's only (Jan) 2, there is more time."
The junior minister spoke to journalists after inaugurating the Hajj and Umrah Fair at the Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC).
The BNP has dubbed Jan 5 the 'Democracy Killing Day'.
The Awami League, for its part, has declared the day as 'Constitution and Democracy Protection Day' and called for prevention of any untoward incident.