'One-point' demand to oust govt: BNP

 
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) will march in all city and district headquarters on July 18 and July 19 respectively to materialize their one-point demand.BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced the programs from the party's rally at its Naya Paltan headquarters, where he announced their one-point demand -- holding the next national election under a non-partisan interim administration.

About the party's programs on those days, he said the party will march from Gabtoli to Jatrabari on July 18 and from Abdullahpur to Bahadur Shah Park on July 19. Tens of thousands of the BNP leaders and activities thronged in front of the party's central office in response to the party call. A large number of members of law enforcement agencies were deployed in the Naya Paltan area to maintain law and order.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) issued separate notices not only allowing the BNP to hold the rally at Naya Paltan, but also the ruling Awami League to hold a 'peace rally' not very far away at the Baitul Mukarram South Gate. Both parties were given permission to hold the rallies on 23 conditions, including ending the programs by 5pm.

Alongside the BNP, its like-minded political parties were set to announce the one-point demand through separate rallies in the capital on Wednesday.
Ganatantra Mancha, a platform of six parties that shares the BNP's view that the government must resign ahead of elections, or otherwise be toppled through a movement, announced their participation in the one-point movement at 4 pm by holding a meeting outside the Jatiya Press Club. A separate 12-party alliance that similarly believes no fair election can be held under the Awami League-led government came up with a similar announcement from a rally in front of Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU).

The Jatiyatabadi Samomona Jote at Bijoynagar, the Liberal Democratic Party at Tejgaon and Gonoforum and People's Party at Motijheel and Labour Party at Naya Paltan at different times of the day announced the same demand.

Besides, two splinter groups of the Gono Odhikar Parishad (one led by Reza Kibria and the other by Nurul Haque Nur), Gonotantrik Bam Oikya, Samomona Gonotantrik Peshajibi Jote and Sadaran Chhatra Odhikar Sanrakshan Parishad held rallies in front of the Jatiya Press Club around 3 pm and announced their participation in the one-point movement.

Earlier at a public rally on December 10 last in the capital's Golapbagh field, the BNP had announced a 10-point charter of demands including the resignation of the government, the dissolution of parliament, and the transfer of power to a non-partisan government.

BNP and its like-minded parties observed various programs, including human chains, sits-in, road marches and rallies across the country, over the last seven months since the announcement of the 10-point movement, which itself came at the end of a program of divisional rallies that started in August.