Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, student wing of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, on Wednesday shifted its pre-announced student rally, to be held on August 3, from the Central Shaheed Minar to Shahbagh following a request from the National Citizen Party.
The announcement was made by JCD president Rakibul Islam Rakib during a press conference held at the BNP central office at Naya Paltan in Dhaka.
Rakib said that the decision was made in response to a request from the NCP leaders as the new party also scheduled a rally at the same venue on the same day.
After the announcement, NCP chief organiser for North Sarjis Alam, in a Facebook post expressed gratitude to BNP and JCD for shifting JCD鈥檚 pre-announced rally venue following NCP鈥檚 request.
鈥極n behalf of the National Citizen Party, we express our sincere gratitude to BNP and Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal for changing the venue of the previously announced rally on our request,鈥� wrote Sarjis on his verified Facebook profile.
鈥榃e believe that through mutual harmony and coexistence, the desired democracy for the people of Bangladesh will be achieved in this way,鈥� he added.
JCD announced the rally in June and took permission from the Dhaka University authorities to hold the rally at the Central Shaheed Minar as a part of JCD鈥檚 month-long programme marking the first anniversary of July uprising, said Rakib at the press conference.
鈥楢fter making announcement of the programme and completing all preparations, shifting it to another venue is very difficult and embarrassing. We initially chose Shaheed Minar to avoid public inconvenience on a working day,鈥� said Rakib.
鈥楬owever, as a liberal, democratic, coexistence-oriented, tolerant and respectful organisation of all acceptable views and paths, we have decided to change the venue of our student rally considering National Citizen Party鈥檚 request,鈥� stated Rakib.
He acknowledged that holding the rally at Shahbagh, a busy intersection in the capital, may cause traffic disruptions.
鈥榃e apologise in advance to the city residents for all kind of inconvenience,鈥� Rakib added.
Earlier on June 29, NCP announced the party鈥檚 countrywide programmes from July 1 till August 5 marking the first anniversary of July uprising.
NCP announced that the party would hold a rally at Central Shaheed Minar on August 3, where it would read out the July Declaration and the party鈥檚 manifesto.
