The Bangladesh Nationalist Party will hold a rally at the Central Shaheed Minar today to pay homage to the people killed during the movements against the authoritarian rule in the past 17 years in the country.
BNP will also hold another rally in front of the party鈥檚 Naya Paltan office in Dhaka on Sunday to mark the International Democracy Day.
BNP standing committee member AZM Zahid Hossain, after a joint meeting with the party leaders at its central office at Naya Paltan in Dhaka, said on Friday that they had already completed all preparations to hold the two rallies.
He said that a memorial rally would be held at the Central Shaheed Minar to pay tribute to those who lost their lives in the recent student-led mass uprising and the movement against authoritarianism in the past 17 years.
The BNP leader said that the rally would also remember the contributions of those who were injured and affected during the movement in various ways.
He said that the party would organise a rally to mark the International Democracy Day the following day on Sunday at Naya Paltan, where party acting chairperson Tarique Rahman would attend as the chief guest virtually.
Apart from Dhaka, Zahid added, similar 鈥楧emocracy Rallies鈥� would be organised in all the divisional cities on September 15 to observe the International Democracy Day.
On September 11, BNP had announced to hold the two rallies.
Meanwhile, BNP standing committee member Selima Rahman, addressing a discussion organised by a pro-BNP organisation Zia Projonmo at the National Press Club in Dhaka on Friday, claimed that individuals involved in extortion in the name of BNP were the 鈥榠ntruders鈥� from the Awami League.
The BNP leader advised the party leaders and activists to remain vigilant against infiltration.
She warned that AL activists were attempting to join the BNP in various areas in a bid to disrupt BNP activities.
Selima said that former AL leaders and activists were behind the unrest and chaos in the country.
Addressing another programme in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka on Friday, BNP chairperson鈥檚 advisory council member Zainul Abedin Farroque demanded the withdrawal of all cases filed against the party chairperson Khaleda Zia and acting chairman Tarique Rahman.
鈥楢ll the cases filed against the party鈥檚 two top leaders were not withdrawn even after one month of the interim government,鈥� he expressed his frustration.
Ziaur Rahman Samaj Kalyan Forum organized the programme demanding the withdrawal of all cases against Khaleda and Tarique.
鈥業f Tarique Rahman can be made accused without any reasons and Khaleda Zia can suffer five years in jail in a case filed for Tk 1 crore, Sheikh Hasina should be awarded jail for 100 years in 118 cases filed against her,鈥� he said.
He said that HM Erashad was 鈥榓 thief鈥� and grabbed state power illegally but he did not flee the country.
But, he said, Sheikh Hasina fled the country because she was 鈥榓 thief, killer of democracy, and the mastermind of filing cases against Khaleda Zia鈥�.
He also demanded the trial of Sheikh Hasina on charges of killings and enforced disappearances of people in the past 16 years.
Farroque also hoped that the interim government would arrange elections in time and the BNP would come to the state power through the polls.