Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has given permission for BNP to hold a rally in Dhaka Division, but not in Nayapaltan as BNP prefers, but in Suhrawardy Udyan, with 26 conditions.
BNP said that their decision so far is to hold the rally in Nayapaltan. In this case, the question in the public mind is what will happen on December 10.
DMP's letter of permission for BNP's mass rally on December 10 at Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital has been sent to party senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Tuesday afternoon. However, Rizvi has made it clear that they want to hold a rally in Nayapaltan. Not in Suhrawardy Udyan. They are adamant about gathering in Nayapaltan.
As previously announced, BNP is preparing to hold a rally in front of the party's office in Nayapaltan.
In this regard, BNP media cell member secretary Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie said, “we did not seek permission for the rally in Suhrawardy Udyan. Wanted for Nayapaltan. Now the letter given by DMP will be discussed in the highest policy making forum of the party and a decision will be taken.”
The political arena has been heated for some time around BNP's rally in Dhaka. The government has been reluctant about the change from the beginning. BNP has been adamant about doing this. In the beginning, the ruling party leaders were saying that BNP should hold a rally outside Dhaka in a place like Purbachal.
On November 25, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said that BNP will be allowed in Suhrawardy Udyan. Apart from this, the central leaders of Awami League have also hinted not to allow the rally in Nayapaltan.
26 conditions must be obeyed: DMP has informed BNP about the 'permission' of the public meeting on December 10 at Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital, subject to 26 conditions. This condition also includes that the BNP leaders and workers cannot go to the assembly place with a procession.
The first condition of the letter states that it is not permission to use the space. BNP will have to take permission from the concerned authorities for using the space. If the conditions given by the police are not complied with, this 'permission order' will be canceled immediately.
In the letter signed by Deputy Commissioner of DMP Abdul Momen, it is said that if the public gathering is held opposite the central office of BNP in Nayapaltan, it will cause traffic jam and civil suffering. Instead of that place, permission was granted to hold a Dhaka divisional mass meeting on the initiative of BNP on December 10 from 12 noon to 4 pm in Dhaka's Suhrawardy Udyan subject to the conditions.
1. This permit is not a permission to use the space, permission must be obtained from the concerned authorities for the use of the space.
2. The conditions mentioned in the space usage permit should be duly observed.
3. All gathering activities should be restricted inside Suhrawardy Udyan.
4. Adequate number of volunteers (with visible ID cards) should be recruited under own management for security.
5. According to the instructions of the local police administration, high resolution CCTV cameras should be installed inside and outside the gathering place under its own management.
6. Archways should be installed at each entry gate under self-management and arrangements should be made for checking of arrivals through hand metal detectors at assembly points.
7. All the vehicles arriving at the gathering place should be searched through Vehicle Scanner / Search Mirror under their own management.
8. Fire extinguishing system should be kept at the assembly place under own management.
9. Mic/sound cannot be used outside Suhrawardy Udyan or on road sides.
10. Projectors cannot be installed outside Suhrawardy Udyan or on road sides.
11. No gathering outside the Suhrawardy Udyan, on the streets or footpaths.
12. Mic/Speaker cannot be used during Azan, Namaz and other religiously sensitive times.
13. Caricatures or speech on any matter which may hurt religious sentiments shall not be displayed or propagated.
14. The entire proceedings of the rally must be completed within the allotted time.
15. People can come to assemble two hours before the start of the rally.
16. No obstruction to vehicular and public movement shall be allowed under any circumstances including assembly on the road including the vicinity of the assembly venue.
17. Flags, banners, festoons shall not be carried under the cover of any kind of stick, rod.
18. Activities that violate law and order and disturb public safety shall not be carried out.
19. No activity and speech against the state will be allowed.
20. No inflammatory speech or distribution of leaflets shall be permitted.
21. Can't come to assembly place with procession.
22. The car must be parked in the designated place for parking. No cars can be parked on the main road.
23. The organizing authority will be responsible if the law and order situation deteriorates at the rally venue.
24. Gatherings should be conducted following proper hygiene rules.
25. Failure to comply with the above conditions will result in immediate cancellation of this permission order.
26. The Authority reserves the right to cancel this permission order without assigning any reason in public interest.
@The report was published on print and online versions of The Bangladesh Pratidin on November 30, 2022 and rewritten in English by Tanvir Raihan.
