BNP, allies prepare for October 18 road march

After completion of its Dhaka-Sylhet road march, the opposition is now taking preparations to make success its second such initiative towards the northern part of the country on Tuesday demanding the caretaker government system be restored.
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia will lead the two-day journey from the capital Dhaka at 10:00am. On the way to Chapainawabganj, the opposition-declared road march will touch Gazipur, Tangail, Sirajganj, Bogra and Naogaon.
Party's acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir expressed hope that a large number of people will join the October 18-19 road march. He briefed media at the Naya Paltan Headquarters yesterday after a joint meeting of the BNP and its front and associate bodies.
He hoped that more than 3,000 vehicles would join the road march. Leaders and workers of the BNP and its allies in the districts are making vigorous campaign to make the road march and public meetings a success.
Around the similar number of vehicles carried at least 15,000 party men to Sylhet from the capital on October 10 in its first road march, causing a severe traffic chaos on the Dhaka-Sylhet highway and resulting in immense suffering for both Dhaka and Sylhet-bound passengers.
Asked that the government is not taking the road march into account, Fakhrul said the party in power does not want to accept the reality nor they want to realise that they are isolating from people.
Replying to another question, the BNP spokesperson said the matter of resignation from parliament would be decided at the party's parliamentary committee meeting.
The earlier schedule of Dhaka-Rajshahi road march has been revised a number of times on various grounds including BNP's internal conflict over local leadership in Rajshahi city, where the party chief was set to address a rally on October 19.
The public meeting at Chapainawabganj on October 19 has been added anew to the schedule while the one in Natore (on October 20) is dropped due to degree examinations. For the same reason, Khaleda's rally in Mymensingh on October 25 has been shifted to October 27.
She will address three wayside meetings -- at Kaliakoir of Gazipur district, Bhuapur of Tangail and ATM High School ground in Naogon -- and two rallies. Besides, permission of the local administration has been sought for roadside meeting at Hatikumrul in Sirajganj district.
In Bogra, the public meeting will be held at Altafunnessa High School ground on October 18 while the Chapainawabganj meeting on October 19 will be held at the Govt College ground.
On her journey, Khaleda will halt overnight at Bogra on October 18 and return to Dhaka on October 19 night.