The Awami League has announced protest marches for Monday in Dhaka apparently to counter the BNP’s nationwide demonstrations.
The ruling party’s Dhaka Metropolitan Unit said on Sunday that the protest marches would be held in every ward.
The party demonstrated across the country on Sunday to protest against what it called was “BNP’s pyro-terrorism in the name of protests” after the opposition party’s sit-in programmes at the entrances to Dhaka led to violent clashes with police on Saturday.
After the Awami League announced nationwide demonstrations for Sunday, the BNP said it would stage rallies in cities and district towns on Monday to avoid confrontation with the ruling party.
The BNP has been staging programmes as part of its movement to oust the government before the next general election. It called Monday’s protests over “attacks on peaceful sit-in programmes” in Dhaka on Saturday.
As many as 469 BNP loyalists have been sued in 11 cases over the clashes in Dhaka.
On the other hand, The Bangladesh Awami League’s Dhaka North unit has said its leaders and activists will be on the field for the next 150 days of the approaching national elections.
Speaking at a representative meeting at the Awami League office in the capital’s Tejgaon today, Dhaka North Awami League President Sheikh Bazlur Rahman said, “We will be on the field for the next 150 days to counter the BNP.”
He also said that the BNP has brought back the era of “arson attacks”.
Dhaka North Awami League General Secretary SM Mannan Kochi said, “We will be in the field every day. Our next programme will be finalised after contacting the central office.”
The Dhaka North Awami League was scheduled to hold a rally at the old trade fair grounds in Tejgaon on Monday, the same day as the BNP’s nationwide rallies.
In this regard, Sheikh Bazlur Rahman said the Monday rally has been postponed due to “special reasons”.
Earlier, the ruling Awami League cancelled the “peace rally” the party’s Dhaka North and South units announced to hold on Monday. Instead, the ruling party will hold sit-ins programmes and bring out processions at the ward level in the city today and tomorrow.
