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Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) will hold a grand rally next Thursday (July 27) in the capital as part of their ongoing movement for the immediate resignation of the government in the interest of holding a free, fair and participatory election under a neutral caretaker government.
BNP Secretary-General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced the programme at a youth rally at Suhrawardy Udayan in the city on Saturday.
"It's an exceptional gathering. The youths have risen up through this rally. I've got inspired and my confidence has been boosted," he said.
BNP's associate bodies Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal, Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal and Swechchhasebak Dal organised the rally for Dhaka division.
Mr Fakhrul Islam Alamgir alleged that the Awami League government was holding on to power illegally through violating the constitution.
"It's certain if elections are held under a neutral caretaker government, they (Awami League) will not win even in 10 parliamentary seats," he said. The ruling party does not believe in democracy, he added.
"This government fears election. We want immediate election. But not under you (the government)," he said.
"We (BNP) want neutral polls. So for this reason the government must resign without delay and hand over power to a caretaker government to facilitate holding national elections in free and fair manner," he said.
"The government told the foreigners that they also want a free and fair election. But at the same time they (the ruling party) filed false cases against BNP leaders and activists," he added.
The government, as per their wish, started transferring deputy commissioners and police officials just to steal votes in the upcoming elections, the BNP secretary general alleged.
Mr Fakhrul said the government has filed 50 false cases over the last seven months and implicated 1,701 party leaders and activists in those.
He further said one could not get job without paying Tk2.0 million (Tk 20 lakh) and he/she must be a follower of Awami League, otherwise not.
Regarding just-concluded Dhaka-17 constituency by-election, he said the government created some problems for Hero Alam during the polls.
Except Dhaka, load-shedding is very frequent in other parts of the country, he commented, saying farmers do not get power for irrigation.
He lamented the present scenario of dengue treatment at the hospitals.
The rally was organised to draw more youths to the BNP's ongoing anti-government.
Thousands of BNP activists and followers thronged the rally venue at Suhrawardy Udayan since morning.
President of Jubo Dal Sultan Salahuddin Tuku presided over the rally moderated by its acting general secretary Shariful Islam Milton.
President of Swechchhasebak Dal SM Jilani and president of Chhatra Dal Kazi Rawnakul Islam Srabon and general secretary Saif Mahmud Jewel, among others, were present. Earlier BNP successfully and peacefully held such youth rallies in different divisional cities.