The BNP has announced that it will stage demonstrations in all Dhaka city corporation ward areas today in protest against denial of permission to hold a rally marking what it calls the “Democracy Killing Day” yesterday.
Party Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi declared the programme at a press conference at the party's Nayapaltan headquarters.
“With the obstruction to BNP's rally, it has been proved once again that Awami League is a party that kills democracy,” he said.
Rizvi added the government did not allow BNP to hold the rally as part of its policy to hush up the “controversial” national elections held on January 5, 2014.
He slammed the government for denying the permission to arrange the rally although the ruling party has been given permission to hold two rallies in the capital.
The BNP leader also alleged that law enforcers were obstructing their party's black flag processions at different parts of the country, including in Gazipur, Mymensingh, Khulna, and Chittagong.
A huge number of law enforcers were deployed in and around the BNP's headquarters since morning to avoid any untoward incident.
Earlier on Thursday, Dhaka Metropolitan Police denied BNP permission to hold the rally yesterday, the fourth anniversary of the 2014 parliamentary elections.
On Monday, BNP announced to hold the rally at Suhrawardy Udyan and bring out black flag processions across the country yesterday to observe the day as “Democracy Killing Day” to register its protest against the 10th national elections.
The AL is also marking the day as “Victory Day for Democracy” holding two rallies on Banani ground and Bangabandhu Avenue in addition to “gala” celebrations across the country.
The last parliamentary elections was held on January 5, 2014 amid controversy as BNP, the main opposition in the immediate past parliament, and most other political parties boycotted the polls terming it “farcical and one-sided”. At least 153 lawmakers were elected uncontested in that election.
In 2015, on the first anniversary of the polls, violence erupted across the country centring rallies and counter rallies of the parties. The situation remained turbulent for weeks.
The BNP was also not granted permission to hold a rally then. Police kept BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia confined to her Gulshan office by blocking the streets with sand-laden trucks.
An angry Khaleda called for a countrywide non-stop blockade from January 6 in an attempt to topple the government. The blockade went on until the last week of March.
At least 95 people were killed and around 1,500 injured in arson attacks on public vehicles during the blockade.
