As part of the ongoing simultaneous movement, the BNP and its associate bodies and like-minded parties will march in all thanas under their divisional cities on March 4 (next Saturday) to press home their 10-point demand, including holding the next general election under a non-party caretaker government.

The main opposition party announced the fresh programme shortly after the launch of their march in all districts of the country today (Saturday) - which was part of the same series of programmes

The programme will also protest against the rise in the prices of power, gas and essential items, and pressure the government to release BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia without any condition, essentially to drop the 'false' cases against her, and now and to accept the party’s 10-point demand.

In a statement, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir urged the party rank and file to make the party’s movement a success with their spontaneous participation, to force the government to accept their 10-point demand and quit.   

BNP Standing Committee members and the party’s senior leaders participated in the district-level programme.

Today's nationwide march programme in all districts by the BNP to press home their 10-point demand was observed on Saturday amid clashes and obstruction in nine districts.

The leaders and activists of BNP and its associate bodies alleged that the ruling party activists attacked them in Jhalokathi, Nilphamari and Netrokona when they tried to observe their march programme there.

Besides, they said police charged batons on the opposition leaders and activists in Patuakhali while law enforcers opened fire on a procession in Cumilla.

BNP could not hold the march programme in Bagerhat and Rajbari due to obstructions reportedly by police while the party leaders and activists cut short the programme in Gazipur and Magura in the face of police obstruction.

Besides, the party’s march programme was foiled as a crude bomb exploded in front of its office in Natore before the start of the march.

In his statement, Mirza Fakhrul strongly condemned and protested the incident and said the government was trying to create anarchy by attacking the opposition’s peaceful march programme as it got scared of the ongoing movement.  

He claimed that over 100 BNP leaders and activists were injured in attacks by police and ruling party ‘cadres’ on the march programme in different districts.

From December last year, BNP and like-minded parties and alliances started a simultaneous movement to bring down the government, or at least realise the all-important caretaker or non-party provision ahead of the next election.

Besides, the leaders and activists of BNP’s Dhaka north and south city units observed the march programme in five areas in the capital since January 28.

The party also arranged a similar programme in all unions and divisional cities across the country to press home their 10-point demand.