Naya Paltan overflows with supporters as BNP sells nomination forms ahead of election 

The BNP leaders and activists who could not gather much in front of the party’s Naya Paltan headquarters due to police action for a decade have returned to their favourite venue to celebrate the nomination form sale that continued for the second day.

Sumon Mahmudbdnews24.com
Published : 13 Nov 2018, 01:10 PM
Updated : 13 Nov 2018, 02:01 PM

Their activities centred on the election after the party, which stayed away from the 2014 election, has decided to join the polls this time, capping years in the political wilderness.

Many are uploading posts related to the election on the social media as well.   

The BNP kicked off the sale of nomination forms on Monday and aspirants collected 1,326 forms on the first day.

On Tuesday, thousands of activists overcrowded the area in support of their favourite aspirants or to strengthen connections between themselves.

The huge gatherings blocked the street from Fakirapool to Kakrail throughout the day leading to the sufferings of commuters.  

“The huge crowds of suppressed leaders and activists in front of the Naya Paltan office indicate the rise of the nationalist force. No place is left without people!” Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi exclaimed with joy.  

The Awami League returned to power after winning the 2008 election. As the main opposition in parliament, the BNP leaders and activists had regularly organised programmes in front of the office at the time.

The scenario changed before the 2014 elections. The BNP staged a violent boycott of the election with deadly protests demanding an election-time caretaker government.

With no representation in parliament, the party then staged a three-month blockade, in which over 100 people lost their lives, mostly in firebombings of buses, on the first anniversary of the election.

Since then, the range of the party’s political activities shrunk visibly. Thousands of leaders and activists were accused in cases related to violence during protests. The party was denied permission to hold rallies in Dhaka a number of times. 

Now the Naya Paltan area has returned to its old look as the party has decided to contest in the election.

The nomination form sale on Tuesday began at 10am but the aspirants and their supporters gathered on the street around 8am, and overflowed it by 9:30am, blocking traffic.

The gatherings spread into the alleys and the shopping malls in the area.

Many of the supporters carried paddy sheaf, the party’s electoral logo. Aspirant Nazrul Islam from Narayanganj brought a band of musicians and two elephants along with the procession of his supporters.

The BNP activists also carried placards and raised slogans demanding release of their chief Khaleda Zia, who is jail for corruption.

They also demanded dismissal of cases and sentences against her son Tarique Rahman, who is acting as the party chief from exile.

The BNP is collecting Tk 30,000 as fees for the nomination forms. The aspirants will be able to buy and submit the forms until Friday.