JP gets nod for today's Dhaka rally
Dhaka Metropolitan Police has given main opposition Jatiya Party permission to hold a public meeting at the capital's Suhrawardy Udyan this morning.
The party's top leaders had a meeting with DMP Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia at his office last week on how to assist the JP in organising the rally, JP insiders told The Daily Star last night.
The DMP had earlier imposed 22 conditions on the BNP for holding the party's September 30 rally at the same venue. But it did not attach any condition to the JP's rally.
A day before the rally, the DMP had instructed the BNP to abide by all the conditions, including the party's own arrangement of security to get permission for the meeting.
As per the conditions, the BNP will have to install high-resolution CCTV cameras inside and outside the venue, set up archways and use metal detectors at all entry points, scan rally-bound vehicles with own scanners and arrange fire extinguishers in the venue, said the DMP documents.
The DMP also banned all activities that can hamper public safety. Those activities include carrying sticks, delivering speeches that hurt religious sentiments, and arriving at the venue in processions.
Police asked the party leaders to end the rally by 5:00pm.
“Dhaka Metropolitan Police didn't impose any condition on organising our rally,” said Foysal Chisty, a JP presidium member.
Another JP top leader said they had a meeting with the DMP commissioner three days ago on how police could help the party hold the rally, especially in managing huge vehicles coming from different districts.
JP leaders said they have targeted a massive gathering for the rally. The party has asked all its district units adjacent to Dhaka to bring people to send a message in the political arena that the JP is a strong factor in the country's politics.
JP chief HM Ershad, also chairman of the JP-led 58-party United National Alliance (UNA), will come up with the party's election strategy, including further expansion of the combine, at the rally, party's Secretary General Ruhul Amin Hawlader told this newspaper.
He also said by ensuring a huge gathering at the rally, they want to prove that the JP is stronger than any time in the past.
“By holding a grand rally, we also want to gain people's confidence ahead of the upcoming election,” Hawlader said, adding that the rally would be held under the banner of the UNA.
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