As part of its divisional rally, the opposition BNP will hold a public rally in Sylhet today, demanding immediate resignation of the government and the next general election under a non-party caretaker government.
The leaders and activists of the party allegedly faced obstacles while heading for the venue in the district.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir will address the rally as the chief guest, while its central and local leaders will be present.
The programme is meant to protest the hike in prices of essential commodities, fuel and fertiliser, and the deaths of five BNP men in different districts.
The other demands include dissolution of the current parliament, handover of power to a non-party caretaker government, resignation of the incumbent Awami League government and permanent release of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.
Following in the footsteps of previous divisional rallies, the BNP is determined to ensure a large turnout at the Sylhet public rally and has made extensive preparations to that end, according to party sources.
The party has taken the obstacles, including the transport strike called to ‘foil’ the rally, as a challenge.
“We hope several lakhs of people will join the rally defying all obstacles, including the transport strike. A large number of people have already arrived at the venue,” he said on Friday evening.
The party leaders and activists those came from different nearby districts also stayed overnight setting up temporary camps at some places in the city, including in Aliya Madrasa ground.
The leaders and activists who came earlier were staying in these camps. There were also arrangements for food in these camps. BNP central and local leaders looked after them visiting the tents and venue.
Witnesses said thousands of opposition leaders and activists and supporters arrived at the venue and set up camp there, a day before the party's divisional rally while some arrived on Wednesday and Thursday.
Over 20 tents, each for different district and upazila units of the party, were set up around the Aliya Madrasa field for the activists.
At the same time, some camps of the party men were also seen in other places of the city and its adjacent areas. Some camps were built in Chowhatta area.
Habiganj district BNP joint convener and former municipal mayor GK Gaus told newsmen that many of their leaders and activists reached Sylhet on Friday and they stayed overnight at the camps.
BNP sources said all the residential hotels in Sylhet city and its adjacent areas were booked by the party ahead of its public rally to accommodate party leaders and activists who joined the rally from distant areas.
A large number of leaders and activists of the BNP and its associate bodies started thronging the Sylhet rally venue from different districts since Wednesday due to the transport strike.
Many party men have reached the venue and were staying either at the houses of their relatives or in hotels, while a large number of them stayed overnight at the rally venue in several tents.
The central leaders visited the houses of the party men and encouraged them. The party arranged food for those party men who were passing the night at the rally venue.
Due to the transport strikes, the BNP leaders, activists and supporters went to the rally venue by different modes of alternative vehicles, including three-wheelers, motorbikes, bi-cycles, boats, trawlers and even walking on foot.
BNP earlier held six big public rallies in Chattogram, Mymensingh, Khulna, Rangpur, Barishal and Faridpur cities. The transport strike was called before all but the Chattogram rally.
