Dhaka Bureau: BNP’s “padayatra” at the union level across the country is today, Saturday. Democracy Manch, Jatiyatabadi Samana Jot, the LDP, Ganaforum-People’s Party, and the Left Democratic Union will march in solidarity with the party. Apart from Dhaka, the democracy stage will march in districts and divisions.
The opposition political parties are carrying out this program with 10-point demands, protesting the increase in prices of agricultural materials, including essential commodities, fertilizers, diesel, and restoration of democracy: resignation of the government, dissolution of parliament, national elections under a non-partisan caretaker government, and the release of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and activists.
Khandkar Mosharraf Hossain, a member of the BNP Standing Committee, told reporters, “We have already conducted a silent march in the divisional cities. On Saturday, I will march from the grassroots and union levels. The aim of our peaceful program is one: to spread the 10-point demand for restoration of democracy and the 27-point reform of the state in a simultaneous movement in the village union. This program will add a new dimension to our movement.
In the message sent from the BNP central office to the district leaders, the local BNP, organs, and allied organizations are listed as participating in the union march.
The activists have been requested to participate in the march. Democracy Manch will march from the capital’s Mirpur 1 to Motijheel.
In a press release, it is said on behalf of the party that they will gather in front of the National Press Club at 11:30 on Saturday and march to Motijheel Shapla Chattar. The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) will march from in front of Banshtala Cambrian College at Vatara in the capital to the Badda Link Road junction at 3:30 p.m.
The 12-party alliance will march from Vijay Nagar to Jatiya Press Club via Paltan Junction tomorrow at 3 p.m., said the head of the alliance and president of Jatiya Party (Kazi Zafar), Mustafa Jamal Haider. This (the union-level march) is the fifth program of the simultaneous movement started by the anti-government political parties since last December on the 10-point demand. Before this, on December 24, they marched in nine divisional cities. Later on December 30, a mass march was held in Dhaka. Then this year, on January 11, the parties held a sit-in program across the country. On January 25, like-minded parties, including the BNP, held rallies across the country, and a final one was held on February 4 in the divisional city.
Apart from the BNP, the simultaneous movement includes Democracy Manch, Democratic Left Unity, the 12-Party Alliance, the Nationalists’ Like-minded Alliance, the LDP, and the People’s Forum-People’s Party.
