Thousands gather at venue to attend BNP’s Barishal rally amid obstacles

Thousands of people gathered at Bangabandhu Udyan, also known as Bell’s Park, in Barishal city to attend the mass rally of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party amid suspension of all modes of transport except trains.

Though the rally is scheduled to begin at 2:00pm on Saturday, the rally venue, an area of about 9.5 acares of land, was filled with party leaders and activists by 10:00am, the party leaders said.

Despite strikes and other obstacles, the venue became crowded with several thousand BNP activists from different districts of Barishal division gathered there since Thursday night by boats, trawlers and launches, and even on foot.

The party leaders and activists are coming with processions carrying portraits of the party founder Ziaur Rahman, chairperson Khaleda Zia and acting chairman Tarique Rahman and chanting slogans to press home their demands.

Senior leaders from Dhaka, including the party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir reached Barishal last night to join the rally.

Barishal city is now almost detached from the rest of the country due to strikes called by the owners of buses, launches, speedboats and three wheelers. The strike began on Friday morning and will end on Saturday evening.

Ferry movement were also closed since Friday morning.

Many from distant places said that they came to Barishal city on early Saturday by vessels meant for carrying goods to avoid harassment on their way.

Meanwhile, BNP’s foreign affairs committee member Ishraque Hossain alleged that nine people were injured when his motorcade was attacked by miscreants on the way to the party’s divisional rally venue in Barishal city on Saturday morning.

A 50 feet long stage was created at the venue and 120 loudspeakers were also installed in and around the podium, said Khandakar Abul Hossain Limon, joint convener of the committee to prepare the stage for the rally.

Many of the party leaders and activists who came to the venue since Thursday night passed Friday night at the venue by enjoying songs and chanting slogans.

Ashraful Huda, a BNP activist from Patuakhali, said that he alongwith over 200 party leaders and activists came to Barishal on early Saturday by a vessel meant for carrying goods only to avoid harassment on the way.

‘We used no formal jetty to get down from the vessel to avoid any kind of obstacle,’ he said.

 BNP’s foreign affairs committee member Ishraque Hossain alleged that a group of miscreants attacked their motorcade when they reached Mahilara Bazar in Gouranadi upazila in the morning.

Nine activists and leaders of BNP, including Shahidul Haque, general secretary of No 38 Ward of Dhaka South City unit of BNP, and Mamun Bhuiya were injured in the attack.

Ishraque also said that they faced a number of obstructions on their way to Barishal.

BNP media cell member Sayrul Kabir Khan alleged that a group of Awami League and its associate bodies’ activists, numbering 50-60, intercepted the vehicle carrying Ishtiaque Aziz Ulfat, president of Jatiyatabadi Muktijoddha Dal, at Gouranadi Bus Stand in Barishal in the morning.

Later, they forced him to turn back to Dhaka, he said.

On September 28, the BNP announced plans to hold mass rallies in the divisional city headquarters for the next two months as part of its ongoing movement demanding the resignation of the AL-led government and the release of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, protesting at the abnormal increase in the price of fuel oil and daily commodities and the killing of BNP leaders and activists.

The party organised rallies in Chattogram on October 12 amid arrests and attacks, in Mymensingh on October 15 amid a sudden transport strike, in Khulna on October 22 amid bus and launch strikes, attacks and arrests and in Rangpur on October 29 amid a two-day bus strike from October 28.

News Courtesy:

https://www.newagebd.net/article/185566/thousands-gather-at-venue-to-attend-bnps-barishal-rally-amid-obstacles