No conflict in BNP’s New Eskaton meeting despite escalating tension 

The public meeting of the BNP in the capital's New Eskaton finally ended peacefully on Tuesday amid escalating tension of conflict after the previous day's clash at Hazaribagh.

Leaders and activists of the opposition party and the ruling Awami League chased each other with blunt weapons in the Hazaribagh area of Dhaka on Monday afternoon. Later in the evening, Awami League held a rally at New Eskaton, the planned venue for BNP's next day's programme. 

The ruling party people, however, did not come to the BNP's venue on Tuesday,  which helped the opposition party carry out their event successfully. 

Although the meeting was supposed to start at 3pm, leaders and activists of BNP and its affiliated organisations started gathering there at 1pm.  

Many participants were seen carrying rods, sticks, bamboo sticks and pipes in their hands. They said they carried those to fight the possible attack by the Awami League and to defend themselves. 

A huge number of policemen were seen patrolling the area on the day. 

The Dhaka Metropolitan unit of the BNP organised the programme to protest the killings of their four leaders, price hikes and load shedding.

Addressing the public meeting, BNP leaders uttered warnings against the Awami League – such aggressive public speech did not come from BNP leaders in recent times. 

They said if the Awami League attacks the meeting again, they will resist as they did at Hazaribagh. They will also remain prepared with sticks in their hands to face any possible attack in future. 

"Wherever we wish to do meetings, we will do. There must not be any obstacles. It is not possible for this government to survive any longer. The gun that shot us will not take much time to turn on you [Awami League]," BNP Standing Committee Member Mirza Abbas said. 

Criticising police activities, he added, "I have seen the SB police report of Rangamati district on submitting the list of opposition party leaders, active members, and sources of our money to the government. Is it the job of the state's police?" 

 "We warn that if any of us is arrested from these lists, we will also take to the street with mass people and oust the government."

The BNP leader also criticised the Election Commission saying that it is wasting people's money by spending some Tk8,000 crore to buy EVMs. 

"Sheikh Hasina will not be able to carry on elections like in 2014 and 2018. If the current Election Commission tries to do that, there will not be a single brick in the Election Commission building. Awami League parliament members' houses will also not have a brick," warned BNP's Dhaka Metropolitan North Convener Aman Ullah Aman.

On police activities, Aman said, "we are also monitoring the police in every station. We are monitoring how the police are treating us. Everything is being recorded."

BNP Dhaka Metropolitan South Convener Abdus Salam said if Sheikh Hasina announces that she will resign, then BNP's movement will stop. 

"If the Awami League obstructs our movement, we will start another movement to halt the Awami League from Dhaka city."

Senior BNP leaders Zainul Abedin Farooq, Abul Khair Bhuiyan, Abdul Awal Mintu, Shamsul Haque, Shimul Biswas, Nazim Uddin Alam, Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie, and Tabith Awal, among others, were also present at the event.