Paltan packed for second day

The final showdown of BNP-led alliance turned Paltan Maidan and its adjacent areas into a human sea as tens of thousands of people joined the rally in the capital yesterday, on the last day of election campaign before the polls.
A festive mood gripped the venue area of the rally when leaders and workers of the alliance started chanting slogans and dancing to the tune of musical instruments carrying 'sheaf of paddy' and 'scale', the poll symbols of BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami.
People thronged the meeting venue with enthusiasm from noon but the rally began at about 2:30pm. The historic Paltan Maidan was full of people when BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia reached the venue at about 4:00pm. Heavy presence of law enforcement agencies and their extensive security checking mattered little.
As soon as the BNP chief stood on the dais, the entire crowd burst into applauses. They chanted slogans like 'Khaleda…Zia…Khaleda…Zia and Dhaner Shish'.
Processions were seen entering the venue even after Khaleda Zia started addressing at 4:40pm. Not only the supporters of the alliance, people of the surrounding areas were also seen listening to the last electoral address on the last day of campaign.
The initial tight security was relaxed later and the processions were seen marching towards the main venue. Many people waited outside the venue to listen to their leaders through loudspeakers.
The whole area was full of the posters of AL-led grand alliance candidate Rashed Khan Menon and BNP candidate Habib-un-nabi Khan Sohel. The grand alliance held election rally at the same venue on Friday.