The Jatiya Sangsad goes into the ninth session on January 20.

Police allow Awami League and BNP to hold rallies inside and in front of their respective offices tomorrow to mark the January 5 general election.

BNP will not go for any confrontational programme if not allowed to hold a rally tomorrow, the party’s acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said today.

The city corporation authorities have allowed Awami League and BNP to hold rallies in front of their respective central offices tomorrow to mark the January 5 general election.

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has convened a meeting of her party’s senior leaders for tonight ahead of tomorrow’s programme protesting January 5 polls.

The BNP deserves better than the way it was treated by police on Saturday when a group of people under the banner of a so-called "real BNP" marched towards the opposition party's central office with an ulterior motive to occupy it.

Kamrul Hasan Nasim claims to be a member of pro-BNP Jatiyatabadi Krishak Dal in Jessore's Chaugachha. And now, he wants to occupy the BNP central office at Naya Paltan in the capital for implementing his plan to “reform” and “reorganise” the party.

The Awami League has instructed its leaders and activists to resist any attempts by BNP men to take to the streets tomorrow to create fresh controversies over the January 5, 2014, parliamentary election.

Yesterday’s attempt by a group of people to occupy BNP headquarters has raised many eyebrows.The move comes at a time when the party is preparing to demonstrate on January 5, the date when the last general election was held. ‘Asol BNP’, literally meaning ‘Real BNP’, which made the attempt, is a group that came into existence a year ago after the BNP-led alliance started a protest in January last year.

In the wake of tension rising over planned political rallies by Awami League and BNP to mark the January 5 general election, Dhaka Metropolitan Police says it will not allow holding of counter rallies on that day.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan says whether BNP will be given the permission or not to stage rally at Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka will be decided after the assessment of the security arrangement.

The ruling Awami League yesterday said it would hold programmes in the capital on January 5 to observe the second anniversary of the 10th parliamentary election, hours after the BNP announced it would hold a protest rally in Dhaka the same day.

The BNP will not go for any confrontation or movement right now even if it doesn't get permission for a rally to observe the January 5 as

Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif says people will give befitting reply if BNP carries out terrorism in the name of programme on January 5.

The activists of BNP youth and student wings lock into a clash with a group of people, who claimed themselves as “Asal BNP” [Original BNP], when they went to grab the party’s Nayapaltan central office in Dhaka.

After BNP announced to hold a rally in Dhaka on Tuesday to protest the January 5 elections, ruling Awami League says they will also “hold programmes” on the same day. Thereby, again, the rival parties have called for holding programmes on the election anniversary with contrasting views – that ended up in violence and death of over a 100 people last year.

BNP has sought to host a demonstration programme in Dhaka on January 5 – the date that heralds the second anniversary of last general elections. Last year, BNP’s attempt on a similar demonstration titled “black day for democracy” ended in months of agitation that left over a 100 people dead.

It is nothing but an air of optimism for the present and the future if the major development activities --both at planning stage and under implementation by the Awami League-led government are considered. But the state of democracy in the country tells of another tale, not so happy or bright.

BNP hopes that people will be able to restore democracy in the country by defeating fascism and autocracy in 2016.

The BNP gained huge political mileage contesting the municipality polls as the polls have “exposed that this government and the Election Commission cannot hold free and fair elections”, sources in the BNP said quoting party chief Khaleda Zia.