Jatiya Oikyafront aims for a huge turnout in Sylhet
Jatiya Oikyafront leaders are preparing to organise a huge gathering at its rally in Sylhet tomorrow to drum up public support in favour of their seven-point demand.
The newly-floated alliance of the BNP and several other parties, including Dr Kamal Hossain-led Jatiya Oikya Prokriya, is working to bring people from four districts of the Sylhet division -- Sylhet, Moulvibazar, Sunamganj and Habiganj -- to the programme.
Four parties of the BNP-led 20-party alliance -- Liberal Democratic Party, Bangladesh Kalyan Party, Bangladesh Jatiya Party and Jatiya Party (Kazi Zafar) -- were also likely to join it, said sources at the platform.
“People are very keen to join the rally. We are taking an all-out preparation to make the rally a success,” Sylhet BNP General Secretary Ali Ahmed, also the coordinator of the Oikyafront in the district, told The Daily Star yesterday.
This is going to be the first ever rally of Jatiya Oikyafront since its formation on October 13. The programme is aimed at mobilising public support in favour of the platform's demands, including an election under a non-partisan interim government, dissolution of parliament and deployment of army before the polls.
On Sunday night, Oikyafront leaders held the first alliance meeting in Sylhet at the house of Sylhet BNP President Abul Kaher Shamim. Leaders from all parties of the alliance were present. They discussed preparation for the rally, said meeting participants.
The stage is being built and security has been beefed up in and around Sylhet city ahead of the rally to be held on the Registrar Office ground in Bandarbazar area, reports our correspondent in Sylhet.
Before the start of the programme, leaders from the Oikyafront would visit the Shrines of Hazrat Shahjalal (R), Shah Paran (R) and the grave of General MAG Osmani, said Ali Ahmed.
Gono Forum President Dr Kamal Hossain would be the chief guest while BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir would place the key-note speech.
He also said ASM Abdur Rab, Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury, Barrister Mainul Hosein, Sultan Md Mansur Ahmed, Mahmudur Rahman Manna and other senior leaders were expected to attend the rally.
After denying twice, police on Sunday gave permission to the Oikyafront for holding the rally. However, they gave some conditions. One of them was to start the programme at 2:00pm and end it by 5:00pm.
Police also instructed the Oikyafront to ensure that no anti-state or communal statement is delivered at the programme.
The other parties of the Oikyafront include ASM Abdur Rab's Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, and Mahmudur Rahman Manna's Nagorik Oikya.
Meanwhile, Chattogram police arrested nine leaders and activists of the BNP, including its central organisational secretary and Chattogram city BNP general secretary, from different parts of the port city yesterday.
Among the arrestees, Mahbubur Rahman Shamim, the central organisational secretary, and Abul Hashem Bakkar, general secretary of Ctg city BNP, were arrested by the Detective Branch members after the duo attended a meeting with Jatiya Oikyafront leaders, said Bakkar's aide Shahid Iqbal.
Deputy Commissioner (North) of DB police Mehedi Hasan told The Daily Star that Abul Hashem and Shamim were arrested in the city's GEC area around 1:00pm in connection with a case filed with Kotwali Police Station on Sunday for attacking police and obstructing them from performing duties.
“Apart from that, there are several arrest warrants against Hashem,” said DC Mehedi.
Before the arrests, Oikyafront leaders at a press conference announced a rally to be held at the city's Laldighi Maidan on October 27, reports our staff correspondent in Chattogram.