Police grant BNP permission to hold Dec 10 Dhaka rally at Suhrawardy Udyan

The party sought Naya Paltan as the venue for the rally, which will mark the end of a series of gatherings in the eight divisions

Police have granted the BNP permission to organise a rally at Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka on Dec 10, which will cap off the opposition party’s series of gatherings in the eight divisions.

The BNP sought to hold the rally on the street outside its Naya Paltan headquarters, but Dhaka Metropolitan Police said in a notice to the party on Tuesday that the programme there will have created traffic jams.

The DMP has put in 26 conditions for the permission and asked the BNP to hold the programme between 12pm and 4pm.

The opposition party, which maintained it would hold the rally at Naya Paltan, has not commented on the police permission to use Suhrawardy Udyan instead.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal earlier said he had asked police to allow the BNP to organise the rally at the Udyan.

According to the conditions set by police, the BNP still needs to take permission from Suhrawardy Udyan authorities to use the venue.

The participants may start coming two hours before the rally, but they cannot march in procession and carry sticks or rods.

No instigative and anti-state speeches will be allowed.

The party will also have to make security arrangements, including CCTV cameras, archways with metal detectors and volunteers with clearly visible ID cards.