BNP announces Oct 28 rally in Dhaka, first of its non-stop programmes before polls

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir says the party will not stop its programmes before the resignation of the Awami League government

The BNP has called a rally in Dhaka for Oct 28, which the party says will mark the start of a non-stop phase of its movement to unseat the Awami League government before the next general election.

Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced the rally in a demonstration organised by the Dhaka Metropolitan North and South units outside the party's headquarters in Naya Paltan on Wednesday.

The mass rally will launch the BNP's 'grand' and non-stop journey towards the end of the Sheikh Hasina administration, Fakhrul said.

“We must stand up to these hurdles to restore the people’s rights. We will topple this criminal Awami League government, which creates anarchy, through peaceful programmes.”

He asked the crowd where the rivalry between the two leading political camps will be decided, and it responded, “On the street!”

The BNP had earlier said it would pause their tough programmes for Durga Puja and hold fresh demonstrations after the festival.

The opposition party demands that the next parliamentary polls, due to be held by early January 2024, be overseen by a caretaker government to ensure a free and fair election. The party boycotted the election in 2014 and alleged vote rigging and intimidation during the 2018 polls, which were held under an Awami League government.

The Awami League has refused to step down before the election, arguing that such an unelected government will be unconstitutional, and would damage the country’s politics and development.