Chhatra League showdown a day before BNP mass rally in Sylhet

Leaders and activists of local Chhatra League staged a showdown in Chowhatta, Sylhet city on Thursday afternoon a day before the divisional mass rally of BNP to be held in the same area on Saturday.

Several processions of the student wing of the ruling Awami League crossed the Alia Madrasah ground in the city, the venue of the BNP rally where many leaders and activists of the party are staying to take preparation for the Saturday's rally. The move created a tense environment in the city.

Starting at Chowhatta at around 4pm, the showdown went around Zindabazar with more than 400 motorcycles chanting slogans in the name of Bangabandhu and Sheikh Hasina, and against the BNP. Later, they came back to the Chowhatta area and stayed there for a while.

"We organised a peaceful rally to protest against the propaganda and conspiracy of the BNP. They are spreading panic in the name of political movements. We are trying to reassure people," said Nazmul Islam, president of Sylhet district Chhatra League.

Dr Shakhwat Hossain Jiban, organising secretary of the central executive committee of BNP, said, "They have tried to scare us by attacking and filing cases against us. But that did not work. Now, they are trying to frighten us with the showdown."

"But people came out on the streets. They can no longer be intimidated. People will not go home until this government falls," he added.

Azbahar Ali Sheikh, deputy commissioner (north) of Sylhet Metropolitan Police, told The Business Standard, "We are ready to prevent any kind of unpleasant incident. Extra forces have been deployed in the Rikabi Bazar and Chowhatta areas."

Meanwhile, Abdul Moin Khan, BNP standing committee member, said the Awami League has established one-party rule in the country.

While visiting the venue of the Sylhet divisional mass rally of the party, he said, "After 50 years of independence, Awami League has brought Bangladesh to a situation where there is no democracy. They have established one party rule. In the past they established Baksal."

"People of the country are not free now. We have started a movement to restore people's rights. We believe this will be the end of Awami misrule," added.

BNP Vice President Dr Zahid Hossain, Joint General Secretary Moazzem Hossain Alal, Tahsina Rushdi Luna, advisor of Khaleda Zia were also present at the Alia Madrasah ground at that time.

Criticism over BNP's use of city corp resources

Ariful Haque Chowdhury, the mayor of Sylhet City Corporation, is facing criticism for letting BNP use the vehicles and manpower of the city corporation to prepare the Alia Madrasah ground for the mass rally.

Zakir Hossain, general secretary of Sylhet Metropolitan Awami League, said, "The city corporation is a government institution. It belongs to all citizens. But the mayor is using it as his party's property."

However, the mayor said that BNP is using the equipment and manpower after placing an application through the official channel by paying a fixed amount of money.

"Other political parties and organisations in Sylhet also hire cars from the city corporation for preparing their venue," Mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury said.