BNP men will not be allowed to gather on streets 10 Dec: DMP
Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Khandker Golam Faruq has said that police officials deployed during BNP's divisional rally on 10 December will not allow anyone to gather on the streets except on open grounds.
"We allowed BNP to hold the rally at the Suhrawardy Udyan. Hopefully, they will gather there," he told the media on Monday (5 December) when asked about the final divisional rally of BNP slated for 10 December.
He further said public suffering will reach an extreme level if the rally is allowed on the streets.
"Not only the traffic movement but also the regular lives of the public will be severely disrupted. Mainly for this reason, the rally cannot be allowed in these places (Naya Paltan)," said the DMP chief.
Rejecting BNP's other choice – Arambagh – for the rally, he said, "That place also belongs to public roads and we can not let people suffer for arranging a political gathering."
Wishing anonymity, another DMP source told The Business Standard that BNP wants to set up the main stage in front of a CNG fueling station, which is also situated beside a road. "However, we hope that BNP will make decision to be back to Suhrawardy Udyan."
Hayataul Islam Khan, deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Motijheel division told TBS that they have asked BNP leaders what the problems are at Suhrawardi Udyan.
"Let them inform us of the problems, we will surely solve their issues and we hope they will carry out the rally at Suhrawardy Udyan and that would be peaceful too," he added.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), on Tuesday (29 November), permitted BNP to hold its rally at Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital on 10 December on 26 conditions.
The next day BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir urged the government to take necessary steps so that their party can hold the rally at Nayapaltan instead of Suhrawardy Udyan.
Earlier on Wednesday (30 November), police said they will take action if the BNP tries to hold the rally anywhere in Dhaka except Suhrawardy Udyan.
Citing potential traffic woes and security reasons related to holding the rally at Nayapaltan, "Any form of defiance will meet with Sections 28 and 29 of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Ordinance Act," said DMP Deputy Commissioner (media and public relations) Faruk Hossain.
Sections 28 and 29 constitute the police's authority to prohibit an assembly or procession to maintain law and order.
Addressing BNP's ninth divisional rally in Rajshahi on 3 December, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir reiterated the party's firm stance on holding the 10 December rally in front of its Nayapaltan office in Dhaka.