BNP brings out Independence Day procession in city

Vows to restore democracy, free Khaleda from jail

FE Team | Published: March 27, 2018 23:42:41 | Updated: March 27, 2018 23:45:18

Vowing afresh to 'restore democracy and people's rights' and ensure their party chief's release from jail, BNP on Tuesday took out a colourful procession in the city, marking the 48th Independence Day, reports UNB.
Hundreds of leaders and activists of the party and its associate bodies started gathering in front of its Nayapaltan central office and its adjacent areas with small processions since noon.
The BNP men joined the procession towards Shantinagar from Nayapaltan, led by their central leaders, carrying the national flag, placards, banners, festoons and portraits of party top leaders amid huge presence of law enforcers.
They chanted various slogans seeking their party Chairperson Khaleda Zia's release.
BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir inaugurated the procession around 2pm in front of the party's central office.
The procession ended at Nayapaltan around one hour later after parading Kakrail and Shantinagar roads, creating traffic tailbacks in Motijheel, Fakirerpool, Bijoynagar, Kakrail, Shantinagr and Malibagh areas.
In a brief speech before taking out the procession, Fakhrul said the country's people are now deprived of their all rights as the government has snatched those.
"We'd fought the Liberation War with the spirit of establishing democracy. But the government wants to cling to power establishing one-party rule by destroying that spirit."
He urged his party colleagues to take a vow on the occasion of the Independence Day to be vocal for 'restoring democracy, people's all rights, including voting one', and freeing Khaleda Zia from jail.
"The country's people want peace, democracy and their rights to be restored.
The government must free our leader (Khaleda) and all other political prisoners from jail," Fakhrul told the rally.