by Sajjad Hossain in The Daily Star, Aug 9, 2023
After a 12-day break, BNP and like-minded parties are set to restart their one-point movement for the government’s resignation with a protest rally in Dhaka on August 11, according to party sources.
It, however, currently has no plan to launch protests outside Dhaka due to excessive flooding in many districts at the moment, party leaders said.
The BNP standing committee took the decision on Monday.
At a press conference held at the BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office yesterday, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, the party’s secretary general, said BNP is gearing up for a simultaneous movement.
“The government is making all arrangements to prevent the opposition party from participating in the election. There is no level-playing field.
“Our senior leaders have been detained and are prevented from conducting political programmes.”
Meanwhile, a press release by the party’s standing committee said, “Preparations are underway to ensure the programme’s success.”
Earlier on July 29, BNP held sit-in programmes at the capital’s entry points. After those were marred amid violence unleashed by law enforcers and AL activists, the party took a step back.
Leaders believe their sit-in lacked coordination as those responsible to ensure it failed to perform their tasks, which highlighted the weakness within the party. They also said the programme was not executed as per the standing committee’s plans.
Party sources said their top leadership has been in discussion with senior members in this regard over Skype.
About the lack of participation in the July 29 sit-in, Fakhrul at the press conference said, “It was because police and Awami League activists attacked and foiled our programme.” https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/politics/news/bnp-plans-hold-protest-rally-city-august-11-3389581
