The major opposition BNP along with other opposition parties will bring out mass processions in Dhaka city today to realise their demands, including resignation of the incumbent government and holding the next general election under election-time caretaker government.

The BNP and its likeminded political parties and alliances already have taken preparations to make their programmes successful as they held several meetings and planned to ensure huge participation of their leaders, activists and supporters in the programmes.

"The DMP has given us permission to bring out our mass procession between 2:00pm and 5:00pm on Friday," BNP vice-chairman Dr AZM Zahid Hossain told reporters after holding a meeting with DMP Commissioner Khandaker Golam Faruq at the latter's office on December 27 evening.

The mass procession will be brought out from the BNP's central office premises at Nayapaltan in the capital and it will end at the same place after reaching Banglamotor parading Kakrail Crossing, Shantinagar, Malibagh, Mouchak and Moghbazar.

The BNP will bring out the mass procession to realise its 10-point demands, including resignation of the current government, holding the next general election under caretaker government and release of party chairperson Khaleda Zia, secretary general  Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, standing committee member Mirza Abbas, senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed, and other party leaders and activists.

Party standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain will address a brief rally in front of the BNP headquarters on Friday prior to bringing out the mass procession.

The party insiders said after the mass procession, BNP will declare fresh programmes like human chain or mass hunger strike to realise its demands.

Ganatantra Manch will bring out a mass procession from in front of Jatiya Press Club at 11:00am. The mass procession will end after reaching Zero point, parading Purana Paltan crossing, Saiful Huq, one of the top leaders of the alliance, told the Daily Sun.

They will bring out the mass procession to mark the December 30 as ‘black day’. The programme is also meant for realising their 14-point demands, including resignation of the current Awami League government and holding the next parliamentary polls under a non-party caretaker government.

The newly formed political coalition 'Jatiyatabadi Samamona Jote' will bring out a mass procession from Jatiya Press Club at 3:00pm and it will join the BNP procession from Kakrail area on the same issue, Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh general secretary Saifuddin Ahmed Moni, also a top leader of the coalition, said.

Another alliance ‘12-dal’ will also bring out amass procession from the city’s Bijoynagar Water Tank area at 3:00pm and reach Jatiya Press Club after parading Kakrail crossing. They will bring out the procession in support of the BNP’s demands, LDP faction general secretary Shahadat Hossain Selim, also a top leader of the combine, said.

Insiders said Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has also taken all-out preparation to bring out the mass procession to realise their demands. The party has planned to ensure huge participation of its leaders, activists and supporters in the programme.

However, the Jamaat did not disclose the spot of its mass procession in Dhaka city.

LDP led by Oli Ahmed will bring out a mass procession from its central office near Karwan Bazar FDC and will move towards Malibagh at 3:00pm.

Meanwhile, Left Democratic Alliance (LDA), an alliance of seven left leaning political parties of the country, also will stage a demonstration in front of the Jatiya Press Club at 4:00pm on Friday to mark the December 30, the day of holding the 11th parliamentary election, as ‘Black Day’.

Earlier on December 24, BNP and Jamaat brought out mass processions in cities and district headquarters across the country, except the Dhaka city on the same issue.

BNP standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain at the party’s rally in Dhaka on December 10 announced a countrywide mass procession to realise their 10-point demands on December 24.

He also called upon the opposition political parties to forge a movement together through holding programmes simultaneously.

Later, the opposition deferred the mass procession of Dhaka city to December 30 for ruling Awami League’s council session held on December 24. Jamaat also followed the BNP as usual and deferred its programme in the capital.

Ganatantra Manch announced that they would hold a mass procession programme across the country, including in Dhaka, on December 30.

On December 12, Ganatantra Mancha announced a 14-point demand for waging a simultaneous movement with BNP to oust the current Awami League government and bring a qualitative change in the governance system.