BNP gets DMP's nod to hold walks; bar on loudspeaker use

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has received verbal permission from the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) to hold walks and was told not to use loudspeakers for publicising the events.

"There is no need for permission where oral talks have taken place," said BNP's Publicity Secretary Shaheed Uddin Chowdhury Annie answering reporters after coming out of the DMP Commissioner's office on Sunday (16 July).

To promote the programmes, the BNP's Dhaka South member Saidur Rahman Mintu asked the DMP for permission to use loudspeakers. The DMP rejected the request on 15 July and urged the BNP to refrain from causing public disturbance and noise pollution.

Annie said, "They [DMP] advised us to carry out publicity campaigns through social media. There is no problem with distributing leaflets, they will even assist with that."

The Dhaka part of the countrywide silent walks will be held from 10am to 4pm from Gabtali to Jatrabari on 18 July. Another march will be held from Uttara to Bahadur Shah Park in Old Dhaka on 19 July. Together, these rallies will cover all areas in the capital from north to south and east to west.

"Fair election is our main demand," said Annie adding, "We hope this government will resign, dissolve parliament, and this government will arrange the election under a neutral government."

Earlier on 12 July, the BNP declared a one-point demand of holding a free and fair election under a non-partisan government after ousting the current government.

"Today's announcement is a historic moment in Bangladesh's political history. This is a declaration to liberate the nation, to regain the nation's lost democracy," said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir at a rally at Paltan.

Fakrul reiterated on 15 July that their party will not make any compromise with the government over the next election and force it to resign through their ongoing one-point movement.

"No compromise with it [govt] and no election under it…I don't want to repeat the words that no path [except movement] is opened for us," the BNP leader said.

He said their party is not giving focus on the new US visa policy since they want to go ahead with their one-point movement by uniting people from all walks of life.

"We have made it very clear that we are on the movement with the power of our own people to save the country and free people from misrule," the BNP leader said.

He said people have woken up and they are spontaneously participating in the different programmers of the opposition.