Saturday rally will take place: BNP

The BNP has said that it will respond to the remarks of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at a press conference on Friday from Saturday’s rally at Motijheel’s Shapla Chattar.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 3 May 2013, 10:11 AM
Updated : 3 May 2013, 12:36 PM

Shamsuzzaman Dudu, an advisor to BNP's Chairperson Khaleda Zia, said: “Our Saturday’s rally will last only three hours. It will not create any obstacle in the rescue efforts at Savar. The rally will take place,” he told a press conference.

He made the remarks while reacting to the Prime Minister’s call to the opposition and Hifazat-e Islam to be mindful of the rescue operations at Savar.
“We currently have nothing to say in reply to the honourable Prime Minister. Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia will respond tomorrow (Saturday) from the rally,” he said.
Hasina has urged the 18-Party alliance and Hifazat-e Islam to postpone their programmes for Saturday and Sunday to help the ongoing salvage operation at Savar and rehabilitation of the victims.
She made the call on Friday while briefing the media in the wake of the international criticism over the workplace safety in Bangladesh following the death of over 500 people in the collapse of the nine-storey Rana Plaza.
The BNP and its partners are set to rally at Shapla Chattar to renew the call for the release of their leaders and restoration of the caretaker government to oversee the general election.
Chittagong-based Hifazat, allegedly backed by Jamaat-e-Islam, is scheduled to besiege the capital the next day in a bid to compel the government to accept its 13-point charter of demands which includes punishment for ‘atheist’ bloggers and cancellation of the National Women Development Policy.
”I won’t request them to cancel their programmes. I only ask them to postpone them. They can donate the money, meant to be spent for their political programmes, to the victims,” Hasina said.