BNP declares it’ll hold black-flag procession Saturday

Published: February 21, 2018 23:14:14 | Updated: February 24, 2018 21:43:58

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has announced that it will bring out a black-flag procession in the capital city on Saturday.

The party came up with the programme in protest against the denial of permission for its planned rally on Thursday demanding release of party Chairperson Khaleda Zia from jail.

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi announced the programme on Wednesday at a press conference at the party's Nayapaltan central office.

He said, "We had sought police permission to organise a public rally on February 22 either at Suhrawardy Udyan or in front of our Nayapaltan office. We'd also taken all necessary preparations. But the police didn't give us permission.”

UNB quoted him as saying that the government has taken all measures so that BNP cannot arrange the rally.

Mr Rizvi described it as a 'vindictive and anti-democratic behaviour' from the government, which violates people's basic rights. "We strongly condemn and protest it."

He, however, noted that the movement demanding the release of BNP chairperson would continue.

The BNP leader also said fresh programmes will be announced soon in this regard.

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia was sent to jail on February 8 last after a special court sentenced her to five years' rigorous imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.