BNP gets Bangabandhu Udyan for its Barishal rally

BNP has finally been granted permission to hold its divisional rally in the city’s Bangabandhu Udyan on November 5.

Jashim Uddin Hayder, Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Barishal, confirmed the matter on Monday afternoon.

Talking to UNB, the DC said they gave BNP permission to hold the rally at Bangabandhu Uddyan considering its letter in this regard.

He said the opposition party was asked to arrange the rally on the west side of Bangabandhu Udyan, leaving a portion of the venue as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to be virtually connected to a programme there on November 7.

Meer Jahidul Kabir Jahid, Member Secretary of BNP’s Barishal City unit, said that the DC verbally gave them permission over the phone around 3:00pm to organise the rally at Bell Park, which was renamed 26 years ago as Bangabandhu Udyan by the then Awami League government.

BNP Barishal City unit convener of Moniruzzaman Faruk submitted a letter to the DC on October 23, seeking permission to hold the rally at the same venue.

However, the party mentioned the venue as Bell Park instead of Bangabandhu Park, creating uncertainty over accepting the letter.

Meanwhile, three-wheeler drivers in Barishal have called a strike on November 4 and 5 demanding the authorities concerned allow three-wheelers to operate on the highway.

The strike has coincided with the upcoming rally of the BNP while bus owners in the district have announced a similar strike on the same dates.

The bus owners said they will enforce the strike on these days if the three-wheelers are not banned from the highways by November 3.

BNP leader Moniruzzaman Faruk said bus movement was stopped ahead of the party’s rallies in Khulna and Rangpur, but three-wheelers were available there. “Now, the three-wheeler drivers have also announced their strike before our November 5 rally. The ruling party is trying to create all types of barriers to prevent people from joining our rally.”

The rally in Barishal will be the 5th one by the BNP at the divisional level as four others were held in Chattogram, Mymensingh, Khulna, and Rangpur.

The organisers said the rallies are meant to denounce the price hike of daily essentials and fuels, the death of five party men in previous police action in Bhola, Narayanganj, Munshiganj, and Jashore, and to ensure the freedom of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.

The BNP has long been demanding that the next general election be held under a caretaker government, not under any political government--a demand sharply rejected by the ruling Awami League as the constitution does not allow it to happen.