Non-Partisan Govt: It’ll all be settled on the streets

There will be no elections without a non-partisan government and the issue will be settled on the streets, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said yesterday.

The party will hold a grand rally in the capital on July 27 to press home its one-point demand for the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and holding the next national polls under a neutral government.

"False cases are being filed to suppress the opposition party. They [the government] are hatching a plot to keep the opposition away from the election through intimidation. But there will be no election unless it's held under neutral government ... The issue will be settled on the streets," Fakhrul told a youth rally at the Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital.

He, however, didn't mention the name of the rally venue.

The BNP leader urged people from all walks of life to join the rally to strengthen their one-point movement.

He alleged that the government is appointing deputy commissioners and superintendents of police, who are loyal to the government, in different districts to manipulate election results.

"But this will not be possible this time as 36 political parties have been demanding that the polls be held under a caretaker government."

The rally was organised by BNP's three associate bodies  -- Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal, Chhatra Dal, and Swechchhasebak Dal -- to "engage the young generation in street movement".

The rally began around 90 minutes late as the stage, crowded with party leaders and activists, collapsed.

The incident happened when Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal President Sultan Salahuddin Tuku was inaugurating the rally around 1:50pm. Later, a stage was set up on a pickup.

Wearing colourful caps and carrying banners, festoons and placards, young leaders and activists from various parts of Dhaka and nearby districts started gathering at the rally venue in the morning.

A large number of law enforcers were deployed in and around the venue.

Before yesterday's rally, BNP's associate bodies held five youth rallies in Chattogram, Bogura, Khulna, Barishal and Sylhet.

Wearing caps in vibrant red, yellow and green, hundreds of activists of BNP’s associate bodies gather at the youth rally at the historic Suhrawardy Udyan yesterday. The rally was organised by Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal, Chhatra Dal and Swechchhasebak Dal to involve youth leaders and activists in boosting the BNP’s one-point movement. The photo was taken around 4:00pm yesterday. Photo: Amran Hossain