Rangpur Correspondent/

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said that there will be no election under Sheikh Hasina. Elections should be held under a non-partisan caretaker government. BNP MPs are ready to resign from Parliament.

He said these things in the public meeting organized at Rangpur Collectorate ground on Saturday (October 29) afternoon.

He said that earlier in 1974 there was famine in the country. People were unable to eat and fell on the streets. Now that situation is back again. Awami League is now feeding rice at Tk 90 instead of Tk 10 per kg. The price of sugar has also increased. People are not able to buy vegetables. It is a sign of famine. We cannot let the country go in that direction anymore.

He also said that many media of the world, not the whole of Bangladesh, are looking at this rally. The government is not afraid of the people. Why stop the car if you are not afraid. Why shoot our leaders?

Mirza Fakhrul said that the Awami government has finished everything in the last 15 years. You have chewed up the economy, now you are chewing up the country. Awami League has stolen in all cases. He even stole from the shelter project. This government has become a global government. This government has disappeared 600 of our leaders and activists. Killed thousands of people. Arrested clerics in false cases. There are no human rights here. They cannot be allowed to remain in power.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said that the people of the country are in a state of despair due to the increase in commodity prices. The current situation in the country has become unbearable. In township to township the present terrible tyranny and oppression have established misrule.

Mirza Fakhrul said that they are calling for a transport strike after seeing the crowd in BNP rallies. It won’t work. Whenever BNP holds a rally it will turn into a public rally. Public opinion will be created in favor of BNP by whatever obstacles there are. He said, BNP has woken up again in Grameganj. We must win this struggle for democracy. The leader who fought and brought back the country’s democracy. He put the country’s economy on a solid foundation. He has been imprisoned today on false charges.

BNP Secretary General said that all the good achievements of the country have come from the hands of BNP. Martyred President Ziaur Rahman brought multi-party democracy. Gave back freedom to the press, gave back the rights of the people.

Mirza Fakhrul issued a warning saying that no election will be allowed under Sheikh Hasina in this country without a caretaker government. Our only demand is the resignation of this government.

BNP is holding mass gatherings in all sections of the country to demand the release of BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia along with the increase in the price of daily commodities and fuel, the death of party leaders and workers in police firing. After Chittagong, Mymensingh and Khulna mass meeting was held in Rangpur.

The departmental rally was scheduled to begin at 2 pm. However, at 12:15 a.m. before the appointed time, the mass gathering started with prayers after the recitation of the Holy Quran. Further speeches were made by Amir Khusru Mahmud, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku and Selima Rahman, AZM Zahid Hossain, Joint Secretary General Haroon. Central leaders of BNP including Ur Rashid, Asadul Habib Dul, Abdul Khalek and Syed Jahangir Alam, Helen Zerin Khan and leaders of BNP and organizations from different districts gave speeches. Shamsuzzaman Samu, convener of Rangpur Mahanagar BNP, presided.

The chair for Khaleda Zia is also vacant in Rangpur

Like Mymensingh and Khulna, Rangpur also kept an empty chair for BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia at the rally stage. A paper written ‘Former Prime Minister Deshnetri Begum Khaleda Zia’ was affixed to the white cloth-covered chair placed right in the center of the forum.

Rangpur Mahanagar BNP Member Secretary Advocate Mahfuz-un-Nabi Don said, Begum Khaleda Zia is our source of motivation. Although he is not present on the stage, he is in our hearts. The chair has been kept vacant in honor of former prime minister and party chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia. Today, millions of activists have come to this field in the struggle to establish people’s right to vote, including their unconditional release.

After 2 o’clock, the activists headed home

130 microphones have been hung in an area of ​​about one and a half kilometers, including the rally stage and around the ground. In addition to the field, activists have taken positions on various roads around. As the day progressed, the Rangpur Collectorate Eidgah ground became loud with various slogans. The leaders and workers have brought banners, posters, festoons apart from the party symbol rice grains. However, due to the intense sun, many have gathered in the shade on the side of the road. During the rally, the activists crossed the field and took positions on the different roads of the neighborhoods of the city. Leaders and activists from different districts and upazilas came the previous night around the mass rally of BNP. Many of them started leaving soon after the program started.

The presence of party people from different districts including Bogra, Joypurhat, Naogaon of Rajshahi Division, apart from leaders and supporters of various levels of Panchagarh, Thakurgaon, Dinajpur, Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Gaibandha and Rangpur, was noticed. Most of them reached the gathering place before dawn.

Death of Juba Dal leader in mass meeting in Rangpur

Mostafizur Rahman (45), the joint convener of Dinajpur’s Kaharol Upazila Jubo Dal, died in the Rangpur divisional mass meeting of BNP. He died at the rally venue yesterday around 4 pm.
Confirming the matter, Rangpur Metropolitan BNP Member Secretary Advocate Mahfuz Un Nabi Don said that party leaders and workers had come to Rangpur from Kaharol in the morning to attend the mass meeting. Then he fell ill around 4 o’clock. He later died on the way to the hospital. They believe that he died of a heart attack.

City of processions

Even the transport strike could not stop BNP leaders and activists. Rangpur has gradually become a city of processions. BNP leaders, activists and supporters were seen taking processions from various areas including the city’s entrance Medical Cross, Terminal Road Mahiganj Satmatha from early Saturday morning. As the day progresses, the pressure of the procession increases on the main roads. More than 4,500 BNP leaders and activists entered Rangpur city around 8 am in about 500 auto rickshaws from Barabari in Lalmonirhat. They were carrying rice grains and national flags tied to bamboo sticks. There were different slogans.

One by one, the auto-rickshaws crossed Satmatha and gathered at the park junction. Later they left for the gathering place with a huge procession from there.

Besides, from other districts of Rangpur, some on bicycles, some on bullock carts, and some on foot left for the purpose of the rally. In some places, the BNP leaders and activists have complained of being obstructed by the police.

Sadulyapur upazila volunteer group joint convener Safiqul Islam claimed that an auto-rickshaw of volunteers who came to join the Sambesh from Sadullapur in Gaibandha was diverted by the police.

He told the media that since the bus was stopped, they left for Rangpur by auto-rickshaw from Sadulyapur at around six in the morning. But after arriving at Rangpur’s Modern Junction, the autorickshaw was stopped by the police and was not allowed to go to the rally as the BNP workers identified themselves. However, the police claim that they are not stopping anyone. Rather, if someone is suspected, they are searching for the sake of security.

Sodown with a stick

As part of the central program of BNP, activists were seen giving sodown with sticks in the city to participate in the Rangpur divisional mass meeting. Almost everyone who took part in the sodown was seen holding only sticks. Some are seen holding flags and large sticks with rice grains in their hands. A large procession from Lalmonir haat began to sod down the various roads of the city. In that sodown, almost everyone was seen with big sticks in their hands. Some have flags and large sticks with rice grains in their hands. Also, the activists occupied the road in front of the city’s Suravi Udyan and sat with sticks.