AL, BNP to hold counter- programmes in city today

BNP and Awami League-led 14-party alliance are once again set to take to the streets today.

The BNP will bring out two processions from Badda and Kamalapur in the capital as part of its one-point movement demanding resignation of the government and election under a non-party government.

The party's Dhaka south and north city units will organise the processions, which will begin at 3:00pm.

Meanwhile, to "counter" the BNP's programme, the AL-led 14-party alliance last night said they would hold a "peace rally" in Uttara, like what the AL did in the last two months.

The rally will be held in front of Rajlaxmi Amir Complex at Uttara around 4:00pm. Alliance coordinator Amir Hossain Amu will be present as the chief guest, said a press release of the combine.

Speaking to The Daily Star, BNP standing committee member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury said the processions will be peaceful.

He said the government has long been trying to foil their movement by creating anarchy on the streets, but they could successfully avoid "the trap set up by the government".

Referring to the attacks on BNP's sit-ins on July 29, party Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir at a protest rally yesterday alleged that the government does not want to allow the BNP to hold peaceful political programmes.

The BNP yesterday mentioned the routes for their processions.

Fakhrul will lead the procession by Dhaka north city unit that will start from Suvastu Tower in Badda and end near Abul Hotel in Rampura, while BNP standing committee member Mirza Abbas will lead the procession by Dhaka south city unit that will start from Kamalapur Stadium and end at Malibagh Railway Gate.

BNP's 36 like-minded parties will also bring out processions in different parts of the city as part of their simultaneous movement to press home the one-point demand.

On August 7, the BNP announced that it will bring out processions in the capital.