BNP now seeks permission to hold Nov 8 rally at Naya Paltan

After being denied permission to hold a rally at the Suhrawardy Udyan on Nov 8, the BNP has now submitted a fresh application to the authorities to organise the rally in front of the party office in Naya Paltan.

Party leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi spoke about the petition at a meeting of Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal on Friday afternoon.

"We wanted to hold a rally at Suhrawardy Udyan on the historic day, but you (police) didn't permit us (to do so). Then give us the place in front of the party offices. We've filed a petition for this," The BNP senior joint secretary general said.

He also said the rally will be a 'peaceful' one if they get the permission. 

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) earlier on Friday said the party's request to hold the rally at the Suhrawardy Udyan for 'National Revolution and Solidarity Day' has been denied because ‘another party announced holding a rally at the same venue and on the same day.

Ruhul Kabir Rizvi (File Photo)

The BNP first requested that it be permitted to hold the rally on Nov 7 but later shifted the date to Nov 8 following a threatening comment made by a leader of the ruling Awami League. However, the DMP rejected the BNP’s request.

"No party will be allowed to hold any programme at Suhrawardy Udyan either on Nov 7 or Nov 8,” Deputy Commissioner (Media) Masudur Rahman told bdnews24.com.

The authorities, he said, had been forced into taking the decision because more than one party had announced similar programmes at the same venue and on the same day.

The DMP official did not say which other party had applied for holding a rally at the venue that coincided with the BNP’s rally.