Jatiyo Party postpones Saturday's rally 'respecting DMP ban'

The Jatiyo Party has postponed its plan to hold a rally in front of its central office in Kakrail on Saturday (2 November) following a ban on gatherings announced by the DMP in the area.

The party announced the decision in a statement, signed by Press Secretary Khandaker Delwar Jalal, issued Friday night (1 November), stating that it will announce its next programmes officially at a later time.

"The Jatiyo Party has taken this decision respecting the law as the Dhaka Metropolitan Police banned any kind of meeting, assembly, procession, rally, demonstration, etc. near House-66 on Pioneer Road, Kakrail and surrounding areas under Section 29 of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Ordinance," it said in the statement.
Earlier on the day the DMP banned all types of public gathering in the capital's Kakrail area hours after Jatiyo Party Chairman GM Quader said the party would hold its pre-announced rally in Kakrail on Saturday at any cost.

Quader made the remark while addressing an emergency press briefing at the party chairman's Banani office, after a group of student-public under the banner of "Anti-Fascism Student, Worker and Public" last night (31 October) set fire and vandalised the party's headquarters in the capital's Bijoynagar area, following a clash with the party's men.

"We will hold the rally on Saturday even if it costs us our lives… We will continue to fight for the betterment of the country, even if it kills us," he said.

The party announced the rally after a group of students under the banner of "Anti-Fascism Students, Workers and Public" vandalised and torched the party's central office in Kakrail following a clash with the party men. 

Meanwhile, earlier on Friday, Gono Odhikar Parishad said they will resist the party's gathering in Dhaka under the banner of "Anti-Fascist Student Workers Public".

Speaking at a press conference at the Dhaka University on Friday, Bin Yamin Molla, president of Gono Odhikar Parishad claimed that the JP rally was part of a broader scheme to reinstate the AL.

He alleged that AL members, on Thursday (31 October), assembled at the Jatiyo Party office with prior intent. "When we arrived in Kakrail, they ambushed us," he added.

"We have credible information that AL activists across the country plan to gather for tomorrow's rally. We've repeatedly demanded a ban on the allies of fascism, who continue to re-emerge in a new form," he further said.