20-party’s rally continues amid rain

The rally of the BNP-led 20-party alliance at Dhaka’s Suhrawardy Udyan has begun amid heavy rain.

The alliance on Tuesday organised the rally in protest against the new National Broadcast Policy.

The rain pounded the crowds within an hour of the commencement of the rally around 3pm.

During 30 minutes of downpour, alliance supporters were seen getting scattered looking for shelter.

The banner on the stage mentioned BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia as the chief guest, but it was not announced when she would attend it or not.

The party’s Dhaka metropolitan unit Convenor Mirza Abbas was presiding over the rally while Member Secretary Habib-Un Nabi Khan Sohel moderated it.

Jamaat-e-Islami’s student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir’s Secretary General Atiqur Rahman gave the first speech after the rally kicked off.

A huge number of Shibir activists were seen among the alliance supporters gathered at the venue.

The rally is the second programme of the BNP-led alliance after they boycotted the Jan 5 national elections. Similar programmes were scheduled to be held in all districts and metropolitan areas in the country on Tuesday.

Their first post-election programme was held on Saturday when they took out a black-flag march in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country to protest against Israel’s attack on Palestinians in Gaza.

Tuesday’s rally venue was covered with different banners and festoons bearing images and greetings from different party leaders.

Also some banners held aloft some demands such as release of all leaders from jail including former BNP MP Nasir Uddin Pintu and Daily Amar Desh acting editor Mahmudur Rahman.

Heavy police presence was seen around the rally stage and the venue.