Failing to get permission, BNP postpones rally

After failing to get permission from Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) for the third consecutive time, the BNP has postponed its rally scheduled for today at the Suhrawardy Udyan.

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi in a press briefing at BNP's Nayapaltan central office yesterday revealed the decision of the party.

"Police have resorted to tricks over giving us permission. It's now clear that they wouldn't allow us to hold the rally. Denying permission to a major political party like the BNP is the manifestation of the government's autocratic attitude," he said.

The BNP leader claimed that a German-based institution's report that Bangladesh is now under an autocratic rule was justified.

He said as the police had not given them permission even at 4:00pm yesterday, it would not be possible for them to arrange the rally.

On March 2, BNP announced to hold a rally at the Suhrawardy Udyan on March 11, demanding the release of its chairperson Khaleda Zia. The DMP informed the BNP that they could not permit the rally on security grounds.

The BNP then rescheduled the rally for March 19. Having failed to get the permission the second time, BNP postponed it to March 29.

A three-member BNP delegation, led by its standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan, met Home Minister Asaduzzamn Khan on Tuesday and requested him to allow the rally.

The home minister told them that the law enforcers would decide on the permit.

"We had hope that the government would allow us to hold the rally after our three-member delegation met the home minister," Rizvi said.

Rizvi said their planned rally at Rajshahi city will be held on April 15 instead of April 4 for unavoidable reasons.