BNP yesterday failed to observe its announced protest programme in the capital due to the government’s tough stand against the party. BNP leaders and workers were supposed to hold demonstrations and bring out rallies across Dhaka, other cities and district headquarters. The programme was in protest against denial of police permission for a Dhaka rally and attacks on BNP men during processions in different parts of the country.
This was announced by BNP’s senior joint secretary general Rizvi Ahmed at a press conference on Saturday. But yesterday, no BNP leader or worker could be seen in the city for the proposed protest. The party had sought permission on December 28 from the Dhaka Metropolitan Police to hold a rally at Suhrawardy Udyan on January 7 to mark the third anniversary of the parliamentary poll in 2014 as a “democracy killing day”.  But the BNP’s plan was foiled as a large police contingent along with armoured vehicles, water cannons and a prison van had been deployed outside the party office since Saturday morning.
The law enforcers barred all but a few senior BNP leaders and journalists from entering the party office. However, BNP leaders and workers staged protests against the government’s attitude in different districts including Bogra, Barisal, Khulna, Chittagong and Gazipur. In Barisal, police foiled a protest against an alleged attack by BCL and Jubo League activists on a BNP black flag rally in the city on January 5.
But the BNP’s Barisal district and city units held a protest programme in front of their office near Aswini Kumar Town Hall. The programme, chaired by Moniruzaman Faruk, was addressed by BNP district president Ebaydul Haque Chand, BNP district north president Mezbah Uddin Farhad, district secretary Anwarul Islam Shahin, Anwar Hosen Tarin and others.
Later, activists of Jatiotabadi Chhatra Dal tried to bring out a procession from the same venue, but police foiled it. The BNP district north unit held rallies in Barisal city yesterday morning on the same issue. Police also stopped their procession brought out from the town hall premises. OC of Barisal model kotwali thana Awlad Hosen said BNP did not have permission to bring out the procession. Police had only allowed them to hold a protest meeting in front of their office premises, he added.
Elsewhere too, BNP leaders and workers tried to bring out black-flag processions and to hold rallies in their respective district party headquarters, but law enforcers foiled their programmes.
Sources in the BNP’s central office said the party was denied permission for organising programmes, including rallies and human chains, on at least seven occasions in the last three years.
The last outdoor public rally under the BNP’s banner was held on May Day last year at Suhrawardy Udyan. The DMP had granted the BNP permission to hold a rally on January 5 last year. However, it denied the party permission to hold political programmes on November 7 last year to mark “National Revolution and Solidarity Day”, said BNP sources. The party had enforced a 99-day nationwide blockade of rail, road and waterways from January 6, 2015, after it was denied permission to hold a rally in the capital’s Nayapaltan area on the first anniversary of the 2014 poll.