Step down or face non-stop movement

The BNP yesterday announced that it would hold a grand rally in the capital on October 28 as part of the final phase of its anti-government movement.

There will be non-stop programmes from October 28 with the aim of forcing the government to step down, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told a rally in the capital's Nayapaltan yesterday.

He urged the ruling Awami League to make the decision to quit during the Durga Puja holidays next week, paving the way for holding the polls under a non-partisan administration.

"Otherwise, we, along with the people of the country, will oust you."

Fakhrul called upon the party supporters to join the rally on October 28, saying, "There will be many obstacles. We will defy those and make the movement a success."

The ruling party is now using social media to mislead people, and state machinery to spread anti-BNP propaganda, he alleged.

At least 96 BNP activists and leaders across the country were sentenced to different terms in prison over the last few months to keep them away from election-related activities, he claimed.

He further said law enforcers detained 250-300 leaders and activists ahead of yesterday's rally.

BNP standing committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury said, "We are in favour of dialogue, but not while the Awami League is in power. We will participate in dialogue after ousting the Awami League government."

BNP's Dhaka city units organised the rally yesterday to press home the demands for the unconditional release of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and resignation of the government.

Hundreds of BNP leaders and activists attended the rally on VIP Road in front of the BNP office in Nayapaltan. Many of them travelled from different districts to attend the event.

BNP MEN ARRESTED

A Dhaka court yesterday sent BNP Organising Secretary Ruhul Quddus Talukder Dulu to jail and placed 11 others on two-day remand in a case filed over assault on police.

According to the case documents, Dulu, along with the other accused, attacked detectives with locally-made weapons while the cops were raiding a neighbourhood in Badda around 7:55pm on October 17. Three detectives were seriously injured.

"The arrestees gathered there from across the country on Dulu's instructions to carry out subversive activities to topple the government," Sub-Inspector Ripon Mia of the DB told the court.

Dulu told the court that he was a cancer patient and his chemotherapy must begin within a week.

His lawyers said the complaint against Dulu was false.

The DB arrested 51 BNP members at a hotel in Kakrail on Tuesday night. A case was filed against them with Ramna Police Station under the explosive substances act last night.

Rajib Al Masud, deputy commissioner of DB (Motijheel), told The Daily Star last night that the arrestees hurled crude bombs at police and a firearm was recovered from them.

In the capital's Shewrapara around 10:30pm on Tuesday, Kafrul police arrested five people, including Abul Kalam Azad, the convener of Tanti Dal. They were sent to jail yesterday.

DMP Spokesperson Faruk Hossain told reporters that the arrests were part of their regular drives but did not say how many people were detained.