As part of the ongoing simultaneous movement against the current government, a rally of BNP began in front of its Nayapaltan central office with the participation of a huge number of leaders and activists of the party and its associated bodies. The rally formally began around 2:30 pm with recitation from the holy Quran. The organisers said the programme is meant for registering a protest against the introduction of one-party Baksal rule by Awami League on this day in 1975, rise in the prices of power and gas and mounting pressure on the government to accept their 10-point demand, including holding the next polls under a non-party caretaker government. Read more: People won't accept 'democracy of BAKSAL': Fakhrul Hundreds of party leaders and activists started gathering at the venue in small processions since noon, halting traffic in the area that caused public suffering. An adequate number of law enforcers have been deployed in and around the rally venue to fend off any untoward incident. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir will announce the next course of action from the rally. Apart from BNP, other like-minded opposition parties, alliances and organisations are also observing a similar programme in Dhaka and other divisional cities and district towns on Wednesday as part of the simultaneous movement to oust the current government. Meanwhile, Ganatantra Mancha and Ganatantrik Bam Oikya held separate rallies in front of the Jatiya Press Club and announced a countrywide demonstration programme for February 4. BNP is likely to announce a similar programme for the same day from its rally. Read more: No more mockery in the name of election to be allowed: Fakhrul Besides, the 12-Party Alliance is holding a rally near Bijoy Nagar Water Tank while Jatiyatabadi Samamona Jote in front of the Jatiya Press at and LDP at FDC Crossing. It is the fourth programme of the simultaneous movement after the mass procession in December 30, sit-in on January 11 and rally and procession on January 16.

The High Court on Tuesday (January 03, 2023) granted six months bail to BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Standing Committee member Mirza Abbas, in a case over the clash between police and the party activists in the capital’s Nayapaltan on December 7 last year. The HC bench of Justice Md Selim and Justice Md Riaz Uddin granted the bail. The court also issued a rule asking the government to explain as to why the two BNP leaders should not be granted permanent bail. Advocate Joynul Abedin stood for the BNP leaders while Additional Attorney General SM Munir represented the state. Also read: Nayapaltan clash: HC to hear Fakhrul, Abbas’s bail pleas on Tuesday Earlier, on Monday, the High Court fixed Tuesday for hearing the bail petitions of the BNP leaders. Lawyer Sagir Hossain Leone filed separate petitions seeking bail for them. On December 21, Dhaka Metropolitan Session Judge Asaduzzaman rejected the BNP leaders’ bail petitions for the fourth time. On December 9, a team of Detective Branch (DB) of police picked up Fakhrul and Abbas from their homes in separate raids in the capital city. Read More: BNP paying for "imprudent" decisions: Hasan Mahmud Later, they were shown arrested in a case over the clash between police and the party activists in the capital’s Nayapaltan. A Dhaka court sent them to jail rejecting their bail pleas. On December 12, a Dhaka court rejected the bail petitions of 224 leaders and activists of BNP, including Fakhrul and Abbas. On December 15, the bail petitions of the two BNP leaders were rejected again. A Dhaka court ordered to give division facility to them on December 9 and then they were given the division facility from December 13. Read More: Now Ashuganj BNP declares Abdus Sattar persona non grata They were accused of instigating, planning and directing an attack on police. On December 7, a Swechchasebak Dal leader was killed and around 50 others were injured in a clash between police and the BNP activists in front of the party’s Nayapaltan central office, ahead of its December 10 rally. Police filed four cases at Ramna, Shahjahanpur, Motijheel and Paltan police stations against 720 BNP activists and over 2400 unnamed people in connection with the clash with BNP. Of the BNP men, 450 were accused in the case filed at Nayapaltan police station, 20 in Motijheel police station case and seven in Shahjahanpur police station case. Read More: Implementing 10 points a key New Year’s challenge for BNP: Mosharraf

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) on Tuesday cleared the BNP to hold their mass procession in Dhaka on December 30. Though no specific condition was imposed upon the party, DMP Commissioner Khandaker Golam Faruq asked the BNP to hold it in a peaceful manner. BNP Vice Chairman Prof AZM Zahid Hossain and International Affairs Secretary Advocate Masud Ahmed Kamal on Tuesday evening went to the office of the DMP commissioner and held a meeting for around one hour. Later, Commissioner Faruq said, “BNP leaders came to take permission to hold the procession, permission was given in the context of their appeal.” Read more: BNP seeks DMP permission to hold Dec-10 rally at Nayapaltan He further said that the BNP leaders were asked to hold the procession peacefully and not to create anarchy. Besides, roads were fixed for the mass procession. After emerging from the DMP commissioner’s office, BNP leader Zahid said they held a meeting with the DMP commissioner and other higher officials to hold the mass procession aimed at realising their 10-point demand including dissolution of parliament. Putting several aspects of the meeting, he said their prescheduled procession will begin from Nayapaltan followed by the Jummah prayer. He also said that the police administration assured them of providing all kinds of cooperation to hold it. Read more: DMP gives BNP 26 conditions for holding Dec 10 rally at Dhaka's Suhrawardy Udyan

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) will stage a demonstration in the capital on Tuesday protesting the arrest of the party leaders and activists including its Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and the police action at their central office. The programme will be held at 2pm in front of the party’s central office at Nayapaltan. Read more: BNP’s Nayapaltan office reopens after 4 days of police raid BNP's standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain announced the programme at a press conference at its central office on Monday. Besides, their party’s all city and district units will hold mass processions on the same day on same ground as per their prescheduled programme announced from Golapbagh rally . This would be BNP’s first programme in front of their central office after its closure following police raid on the office. Read more: 5 BNP MPs submit resignation to JS Speaker On Sunday noon, the central office at Nayapaltan was reopened after four days. On December 7, a Swechchasebak Dal leader was killed and around 50 others were injured in a clash between police and the BNP activists in front of the party’s Nayapaltan central office ahead of its December 10 rally. On December 8, a Dhaka court sent 445 BNP leaders and activists including Annie and Salam to jail in two cases filed over the December 7 violence. Besides, in the early hours of December 9, a team of Detective Branch (DB) of police picked up Mirza Fakhrul and Standing Committee member Mirza Abbas from their homes in separate raids in the capital city. A Dhaka court sent Mirza Fakhrul and Abbas to jail rejecting their bail petitions in the case on the same day. Later they were shown arrested in a case filed under the Explosive Substances Act with Paltan police station over the clash.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s central office at Nayapaltan in Dhaka was reopened on Sunday noon, four days after closure following police raid at the office. Some BNP leaders led by party organising secretary and acting secretary Syed Emran Saleh Prince went to the BNP office around 1pm and entered the office with some lawyers and journalists around 1:15pm. Later they inspected the whole office. Read more: Fakhrul, Abbas, 5 other BNP leaders seek bail, hearing tomorrow Talking to the reporters, Emran Saleh said the police vandalized the furniture and valuables of the office. They also seized the office computers and other equipment. “We will prepare a list of the losses made at the office by the police,” he added. He also asked the lawyers, journalists and party leaders and activists to enter the office carefully as pieces of glasses were scattered everywhere at the office due to the vandalism.

BNP leaders and activists are gathering at the Golapbagh field with small processions from different parts of Dhaka, shouting anti-government slogans, since this morning (December 10, 2022). Thousands of BNP leaders and activists reached the rally venue in advance on Friday (December 09, 2022) after getting permission from Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP). They started to set up the stage and make all other arrangements. The rally is scheduled to begin today 11 am. Also read: BNP set to hold rally in Dhaka to start simultaneous anti-govt movement Law enforcers have taken adequate measures to maintain the law and order situation in and around the city, centering the BNP rally, and check-posts have been set up at all entry points of Dhaka. Alongside police and Rab, Ansar members have also been deployed in different parts of the city to avert any untoward incident over the rally. A total of 4,000 Ansar members have been deployed in the capital ahead of BNP's rally, said Md Kamrul Islam, director (Operations) of Ansar VDP. Meanwhile, no buses, trucks and other vehicles were seen plying on the road while a few CNG-run auto-rickshaws and rickshaws were seen. BNP wanted to hold the rally at Nayapaltan in front of its central office, but the government first gave the party permission to arrange the programme at Suhrawardy Udyan. BNP, however, refused to hold the rally there. Read More: DSCC gives permission to BNP to hold rally at Golapbagh field BNP's rally in Dhaka city will be their 10th at the divisional level as nine others were held in Rajshahi, Chattogram, Mymensingh, Khulna, Rangpur, Barishal, Faridpur, Sylhet and Cumilla.

The central office of BNP at Nayapaltan remained locked on Friday morning although police authorities assured of reopening from this morning. Besides, police again put up barricades in front of Nightingale restaurant  in Kakrail and Fakirapool intersections restricting the traffic movement from 7am after 11 hours of being normal. Police earlier lifted the blockades on this road from 4 pm on Thursday. Read more: Mirza Fakhrul, Mirza Abbas picked up by detectives: BNP A large number of law enforcers remained deployed in the area since this morning. Police are not allowing anyone to enter this area without the identity card and proper checking. Several leaders and workers of BNP gathered at Fakirapul intersection and were chased by the police at 11am. An on-duty police member told UNB the step has been taken to ensure public security. Motijheel Division Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Deputy Commissioner Hayatul Islam Khan said the surrounding area including Nayapaltan is under police control. No BNP leaders activists will be allowed to enter this area. He said some leaders and activists tried to gather in the surrounding areas in Nayapaltan since morning, but they were dispersed. There are dozens of armoured vehicles, prison vans and police cars on the blocked road. Read more: BNP yet to decide venue for Dec 10 rally

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan on Thursday said BNP will not be allowed to hold their rally at Nayapaltan on December 10 and the government is thinking about Kalshi field as an  alternative venue. “No anarchy will be allowed in the name of rally and no rally will be allowed on streets,” the minister told reporters after visiting the police members who sustained injuries during Wednesday’s clash at city’s Rajarbagh Central Police Hospital. Replying to a question he said Kalshi field is being considered as alternative venue and BNP will receive full assistance from police in this regard. Read more: BNP executed its plan at Nayapaltan yesterday: Quader “There is no objection if you (BNP) hold peaceful meetings, rallies but if you vandalise, harm life and assets the law enforcers will not sit idle. It is their job to give people protection,” he added. Regarding the police drive at Nayapaltan yesterday, the home minister said that the operation was conducted considering the situation. Read more: Man in Argentina jersey during BNP-police clash in Nayapaltan identified as Ansar member “Police recovered 15 unexploded hand grenades, rice, pulse and firewood from BNP office.  We don’t understand why should rice, pulse, firewood should be brought for a political rally,” he said. “I’ve heard BNP had prepared to take position for an indefinite period in Nayapaltan area. They have no more plan to hold a rally,” he added.

A man — in an Argentina football team jersey — who was seen shooting at BNP activists during a clash with police on Wednesday has been identified as a Bangladesh Ansar member. Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Detective Branch Chief Mohammad Harun Ur Rashid confirmed the information to UNB today. He said, “The Ansar member was on duty under the Paltan model police station that day.” When asked whether any action will be taken against the Ansar member for not maintaining dress code, he said, “Why should we take action? Even I perform duty in civil clothing. When putting our lives at risk, law enforcement officers can wear any type of clothing.” read more: It’s an unjustified action of police: Fakhrul on Nayapalton clash Meanwhile, police filed three cases at Shahjahanpur, Motijheel and Paltan police stations against 553 BNP activists and over 2400 unnamed people in connection with Wednesday’s clash with BNP that left one person dead and many injured. So far 500 people have been arrested in this regard. The accused were alleged of keeping explosives at the BNP party office, attacking police and sabotage. After the clash, 473 BNP leaders and activists were arrested from the party’s central office and surrounding areas who were named in this case. Read more: 1 killed in police-BNP clash at Nayapaltan; Over 150 leaders, activists held BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday claimed that two leaders of their party’s student wing Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal were killed and over 100 others were injured in an attack by police when bullets were fired in front of their party’s Nayapaltan central office. The detained leaders included BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi and Publication Secretary Shahiduddin Chowdhury Annie.

Amid a tense situation and speculations over BNP’s Dhaka rally, party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Thursday said they will hold their programme at Nayapaltan on December 10 as planned earlier. “We must hold the mass rally and we sought to arrange the programme at Nayapaltan. It’s now the responsibility of the government to remove all barriers to holding it in Dhaka peacefully. Otherwise, the government has to bear all the responsibilities (if anything bad happens),” he said. Speaking at a press conference at BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office, he called upon the government to withdraw the police force from in front of their party’s Nayapaltan central office and create a proper atmosphere there for the rally. BNP took the decision a day after a fierce clash between their party activists and police and the subsequent action by the law enforcers at Nayapaltan on Wednesday that left one killed and over 50 injured. Fakhrul said it is the government’s responsibility to ensure that the rally is held peacefully. He, hover, said they will consider if the government offers a suitable alternative venue. Read More:Fakhrul visits Makbul’s body at DMCH morgue, condoles his family The BNP leader said their party sought permission for holding the rally at Nayapaltan, but police gave permission to hold it at Suhrawardy Udyan, which was in no way acceptable to BNP. He said the Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner phoned BNP leader Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anee to talk about an alternative venue, but he was arrested when he was going to the DMP office. Asked what their party will do if the government does not allow them to use Nayapaltan for the programme, the BNP leader said they will go there on Saturday to hold the rally. “People will determine their course of actions if we’re obstructed.” Replying to another question, he said, “Wait to see by yourselves what will happen in Dhaka since the country's people have started waking up.” The BNP leader said their new action programmes will be announced from the rally to realise their demands, including the resignation of the government, dissolution of parliament and installation of a caretaker government to oversee the next polls. Police action is a manifestation of authoritarianism Fakhrul alleged that police attacked BNP leaders and activists without any provocation. “This heinous and barbaric attack by the police at Nayapaltan was just a manifestation of the fascist authoritarianism of the government. Such a cowardly attack is unimaginable.” He said Wednesday’s police attack on BNP leaders and activists was tantamount to putting the last nail in the coffin of democracy. “Awami League has turned the country into a police state in fear of facing ouster.” Read More: Police kept the bombs in BNP office: Fakhrul The BNP leader urged the government to stay away from the undemocratic path and release the BNP leaders and activists who were arrested on Wednesday from Nayapaltan. A drama over bomb recovery Fakhrul said police unwarrantedly entered the BNP office with bombs in a cement bag after attacking the party leaders and activists on Wednesday. He said police members kept the bombs by themselves at the BNP office and staged a drama over bomb recovery and bomb explosion. “The police claimed that they recovered huge explosives from the BNP office and declared the area a crime scene. It’s a lie,” the BNP leader said. He said even the police exploded bombs before his eyes after barring him from entering the office on Wednesday. “They established a reign of terror by detonating numerous bombs there.” The BNP leader alleged that the Awami League 'cadres’ along with the law enforcers carried out terror acts at Nayapaltan. He also said police vandalised furniture and valuables of the office and took away computers, laptops, hard disks and important documents, including banks’ chequebooks of the party. The BNP leader said the police conducted a drive at the BNP office after arresting all party leaders and activists who were staying there. "As per the law, the owner of the house or an establishment must be present during such a drive by police." AL a terrorist party Fakhrul said the ruling party leaders have long been issuing various threats centring BNP’s December-10 rally. “They said they will guard all the localities and lanes on December 10. Their attitude has exposed that Awami League has now become a terrorist party.” He said Awami League has been running the country by spreading fear among people and resorting to hooliganism as the party does not believe in democracy. The BNP leader also said the government has made a planned blueprint to foil BNP’s rally at Nayapaltan. He said the government has been carrying out various false campaigns against BNP to malign it, but people can understand that Awami League is a party of liars.