BNP discards Jamaat in Feb 17 rally
Friday, February 15, 2013
BNP discards Jamaat in Feb 17 rally
Staff Correspondent
The main opposition BNP last night decided to shun its main ally Jamaat-e-Islami and hold a rally in the capital on February 17 demanding restoration of the caretaker government system.
The rally was originally scheduled to be held on February, 9, in front of its Naya Paltan central office under the banner of BNP-led 18-party alliance, of which Jamaat is a key component.
In the face of the ongoing mass agitation against Jamaat at Shahbagh's Projonmo Chattar, the main opposition felt it safe to disassociate itself with Jamaat, party insiders told The Daily Star.
A group of senior leaders including BNP's Dhaka city unit Convener Sadeque Hosain Khoka told the party's chairperson Khaleda Zia that it would give a bad impression if Jamaat leaders addressed the rally.
The party is in a great dilemma centering the historic movement across the country demanding a ban on Jamaat-Shibir politics, said a top policy-maker of BNP, wishing not to be named.
Earlier on February 7, the alliance made the decision of holding a rally in the capital on February 9, at its secretary general-level meeting.
Hours later, the BNP standing committee in a meeting headed by its chairperson endorsed the programme.
However, the decision was postponed after a group of bloggers and activists waged demonstration at the Shahbagh intersection.
Talking to reporters on the following day, BNP Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed blamed the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) for not giving them permission to hold the rally, a blame which was refuted by Mehedi Hassan, additional deputy commissioner, Motijheel Zone.
Hasan claimed that DMP had not put any obstruction on the BNP-led alliance's rally in front of the party's central office.
Friday, February 15, 2013
BNP discards Jamaat in Feb 17 rally
Staff Correspondent
The main opposition BNP last night decided to shun its main ally Jamaat-e-Islami and hold a rally in the capital on February 17 demanding restoration of the caretaker government system.
The rally was originally scheduled to be held on February, 9, in front of its Naya Paltan central office under the banner of BNP-led 18-party alliance, of which Jamaat is a key component.
In the face of the ongoing mass agitation against Jamaat at Shahbagh's Projonmo Chattar, the main opposition felt it safe to disassociate itself with Jamaat, party insiders told The Daily Star.
A group of senior leaders including BNP's Dhaka city unit Convener Sadeque Hosain Khoka told the party's chairperson Khaleda Zia that it would give a bad impression if Jamaat leaders addressed the rally.
The party is in a great dilemma centering the historic movement across the country demanding a ban on Jamaat-Shibir politics, said a top policy-maker of BNP, wishing not to be named.
Earlier on February 7, the alliance made the decision of holding a rally in the capital on February 9, at its secretary general-level meeting.
Hours later, the BNP standing committee in a meeting headed by its chairperson endorsed the programme.
However, the decision was postponed after a group of bloggers and activists waged demonstration at the Shahbagh intersection.
Talking to reporters on the following day, BNP Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed blamed the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) for not giving them permission to hold the rally, a blame which was refuted by Mehedi Hassan, additional deputy commissioner, Motijheel Zone.
Hasan claimed that DMP had not put any obstruction on the BNP-led alliance's rally in front of the party's central office.