The ruling Awami League and the major op-position Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) will take to the streets today with their pre-planned programmes to show their strength in the political field for the second time with-in a week.

The AL will hold its street programme styled ‘march for peace and development’ to counter the BNP’s foot march aiming to oust the incumbent government and push for hold-ing the next national election under a neutral administration.

General people expect that the activists of the country’s two major political parties will maintain the same strategy on their pro-grammes this time too to avoid any untoward incidents.

Political analysts think that both the par-ties should come forward to reach a consen-sus on the election issue in the interest of the country.

Though the activists of two parties re-frained from unleashing any violent activities

during the their July 12 rallies, same thingmay not happen all the time as vested quarters are trying to fish in troubled waters, they observe.

“Whenever election comes, political par-ties show their strength on the streets. As a re-sult, the distance between the parties increas-es. Leaders of the two parties should find a so-lution to the problem through talks,” Profes-sor Harun-or-Rashid told the Daily Sun.

“The AL will take out peace procession across the country in protest against wide-spread terrorism and anarchy as the BNP and its allies are trying to create anarchy in the name of movement for free and fair polls,” said an AL press release.

They (AL) will bring out procession in Ra-jshahi, Chattogram, Barishal and Sylhet on July 18, it said, adding that such processions will be organised in all the district towns and cities under Rangpur, Dhaka, Khulna andMy-mensingh divisions on July 19.

As part of the today’s programme, Dhaka city south unit of the ruling party will take out a peace and development procession in the capital.

The procession will start from the premises of the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB) at 3:00pm and it will terminate at Bangabandhu Bhaban , Dhanmondi after parading different city streets.

Before the procession, a brief rally will be held in front of the IEB. AL general secretary Obaidul Quader will address the rally as the chief guest while the party’s Dhaka city south unit President Abu Ahmed Mannafi will chair it.

About the BNP’s programmes, Information and Mroadcasting Minister and AL joint general secretary Dr Hasan Mahmud on Monday said the EU ambassador has told them that action programmes like strike and blockade have harmed the country’s democracy.

“If they (BNP) have commonsense, they will not go for any destructive programmes further,” he added.

Against the backdrop, the BNP and its 36 other like-minded political parties will launch their one-point movement simultaneously through foot-march programme across the country, including the capital to press home their demand.

 The party will start three-day foot march programme today to realise its demand for resignation of the incumbent Awami League government and holding the next national polls under poll-time caretaker government.

Leaders and activists of BNP will start the foot march from Gabtoli at 10:00am today, which will end at Raisaheb Bazar (Bahadur Shah Park) in the capital at 4:00pm.

Dhaka north city unit BNP will start the foot march from Gabtoli while party’s Dhaka south city unit will start the programme from the capital’s Moghbazar area.

The foot march pass through Gabtoli, Technical crossing, Mirpur 10, Mirpur, Kazipara, Shewrapara, Agargaon Taltola, Bijoy Sharani, Kawran Bazar, FDC, Mogbazar, Malibag, Kakrail, Nayapaltan BNP office, Fakirapool, Motijheel Shapla crossing, Ittefaq crossing, Doyaganj and will end at Roysaheb Bazar.

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir will attend the foot march programme as the chief guest.  Senior leaders will also participate in it.

The foot march programme will also be held in other metropolitan cities and district head quarters across the country at the same time.

Dhaka district unit of BNP will bring out foot march from Dulipitha that will parade Islamnagar, Noyarhat and will end at Nabinagar.

BNP standing committee member Gayshwar Chandra Roy will attend the programme as chief guest.

On Wednesday, BNP will hold foot march from Abdullahpur to Jatrabari in Dhaka from 10:00am to 4:00pm.

Dhaka north city unit of BNP will start foot march from Abdullahpur and they will join with Dhaka south city unit at Rampura bridge.

The party will start foot march from Abdullahpur that will parade Airport, Kuril Bishwaroad, Notunbazar, Badda, Rampura bridge, Abul hotel, Khilgaon, Bashabo, Mugdapara, Sayedabad and will end at Jatrabari Chourasta.

On Tuesday, the opposition alliance Ganatantra Manch will hold foot march programme simultaneously with the BNP to realise demand of resignation of the present government and to push for holding next national polls under caretaker government.

The alliance will start the foot march from Mirpur 12 that will end at Mirpur 10 intersection in the capital.

The foot march will be held from 11:00am. Before the march, a rally will be held at Mirpur 12.

The Ganatantra Mach also will hold foot march on Wednesday that will start from Jatiya Press Club in the capital at 11:00am. The 12-party alliance will start foot march from Kkarail crossing at 2:30pm on Tuesday and will parade Kakrail crossing and will end at Motijheel Shapla circle.

The alliance will also hold foot march programme on Wednesday. It will start foot march from Komlapur stadium to Jatrabari crossing.

Other alliances and parties including Jatiyatabadi Shamamana Jote, Gana-Forum-People’s Party of Bangladesh, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Gana Odhikar Parishad, Labour Party and Ganatantrik Bam Oikya also will hold foot march on today and tomorrow simultaneously.

BNP insiders said the party standing committee held a meeting on Saturday night and chalked out their next course of action to realise their one-point demand for resignation of the present government.

The standing committee of the party also discussed recent EU and US delegation’s visit to Dhaka. It also reviewed BNP’s loss and gains from their visit, party sources said.

The BNP policymaking body also took decision to announce fresh programme on Wednesday to realise their one-point demand, the sources added.