BNP stages protests in districts

Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Sunday staged demonstrations in different districts across the country protesting against the government move to cancel BNP founder and late president Ziaur Rahman’s Bir Uttam gallantry award given for his heroic role in the country’s liberation war.

District units of the party staged the scheduled demonstrations in most of the districts as part of the protest programme declared by the central unit.

BNP standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain at a  press briefing at the party chairperson’s Gulshan office Sunday evening announced a fresh countrywide protest, except in Barishal division, for February 17 against the government move.

He said that the decision was taken at a standing committee virtual meeting on Saturday.

The programme will not be held in Barishal division as there is a scheduled rally there on February 18.

BNP leaders at rallies in different districts on Sunday said that the Jatiya Muktijoddha Council which on February 9 at a meeting had taken the decision to cancel Bir Uttam award of Ziaur Rahman had no right to take such a decision.

Reports received from different districts said that demonstrations in district towns were mostly confined in and adjacent to BNP offices as the police did not allow party activists and leaders to stage their demonstrations freely.

The police, however, denied the allegation and claimed that in most cases, the party did not take permission from them.

Addressing rallies, senior BNP leaders alleged that the initiative of scrapping Zia’s gallantry award was a conspiracy of the government to eliminate the brave freedom fighter’s name from the history.

They said that the BNP founder’s gallantry award was given not for the kindness of anyone but he himself earned it and thus, nobody had the right to cancel the gallantry award of Zia.

Chairing a rally at the party office at KD Ghosh Road in Khulna, city BNP senior vice-president Shaharuzzaman Mortuza alleged that the government had taken the initiative to revoke Zia’s gallantry award to divert people’s attention from an Al Jazeera report containing serious allegations of corruption of top government officials.

He claimed that Zia proclaimed the war of independence and took part in the liberation war when the Awami League leaders were fleeing the country.

Khulna BNP leaders, however, alleged that they planned to stage the demonstration in front of the party office but they were compelled to hold the programme inside the office.

District BNP organising secretary SM Monirul Hasan Bappi alleged that the police created an environment of panic and did not allow any BNP leader or activist to stand on the road in front of the office.

‘Who have given them the right to hold the programme blocking the road? They did not take any permission from us,’ Khulna Sadar police officer-in-charge Ashraful Alam told New Age.

Addressing the Barishal rally in front of the party office at Sadar Road, Barishal north district BNP president and central committee member Mesbah Uddin Farhad condemned and protested at the police attack on a BNP rally in Dhaka on Saturday which left over 100 leaders and activists injured.

He alleged that the government had assumed power ‘illegally by conducting night time national election in 2018’ and was using muscle power to remain in power.

Addressing the Feni rally in front of the Feni Press Club in the district town, BNP central assistant organising secretary Jalal Uddin Majumder threatened to launch a tough movement to compel the government to scrap the initiative to revoke Zia’s gallantry award.

Chattogram South and North units of BNP staged their demonstrations in front of the party office at Kazir Deuri in the port city in the morning and in the afternoon respectively.

New Age correspondent in Moulvibazar reported that the district BNP brought out a procession from Moulvibazar Chowmohna Sunday afternoon and it ended at Kusambagh after parading Central Road of the town.

New Age correspondents in Sylhet, Patuakhali, Jashore, Barguna, Cumilla and Brahamanbaria reported that the demonstrations were peaceful there.

No demonstration was held in a few districts, including Satkhira, Bagerhat, Pabna, Munshiganj, Rajshshi, Lakshmipur and Mymensingh, due to Sunday’s fourth phase of municipality elections, New Age correspondents in the districts reported, quoting district BNP leaders.

News Courtesy:

https://www.newagebd.net/article/130169/bnp-stages-protests-in-districts