Ruling Awami League and BNP, one of the major opposition parties, on Wednesday held separate mass rallies in capital Dhaka with huge public gathering.
The ruling Awami League held a ‘Peace Rally’ at Baitul Mukarram South Gate near its central office at Bangabandhu Avenue.
The BNP organised its rally in front of the party’s central office at Nayapaltan as part of its anti-government movement
The rally of BNP was organised to drum up support in favour of its demand of ousting the government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina while the rally of ruling Awami League was aimed at checking anarchy by the opposition BNP.
Although both the rallies were held in the afternoon, leaders and activists of both the parties started gathering at their respective venues since morning. They gathered at their respective venues with hundreds of processions coming from different parts of the capital Dhaka and elsewhere in the country.
The gatherings of thousands of people through hundreds of processions affected the traffic system across the capital Dhaka, causing sufferings to the commuters.
The road in front of the BNP central office in Nayapaltan remained closed since Wednesday morning, causing traffic congestion and inconveniences for commuters.
Passengers had to wait for a long time to get on buses to go from the press club to other places.
The same scene was seen in Mohakhali, Gulshan, Kazipara, Angargao, Shyamoli, Bijoy Shoroni, Farmgate, Shahbagh, Paltan, Gulistan, and Moghbazar area in the capital.
The traffic on the roads of Farmgate, Karwanbazar, Mohakhali was thin compared to other days. Rains aggravated the suffering of commuters.
Meanwhile, there was a heavy traffic jam on the Fakirapool to Motijheel road in the afternoon. Office-goers had to suffer finding transport. Many people were seen going to their destinations on foot from the Shapla Chattar area. Some were looking for alternative routes instead of these routes.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police has allowed both the parties to hold rallies in the capital under 23 conditions.
Meanwhile, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir declared a one-point demand to oust the government during the rally held in front of the party's central office in Naya Paltan on Wednesday afternoon.
The opposition party also announced a march programme across the country on 18 July. And in Dhaka, marches will be held from 10am to 4pm from Gabtali to Jatrabari on 18 and on 19 July a march programme will be held from Uttara to Bahadur Shah Park in Old Dhaka.
He said, the demand includes dissolving the current parliament and holding the election under a non-partisan government.
On the other hand, Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader said that the ruling party also has a one-point demand of holding the next election under the rule of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
He came up with this statement referring to BNP's one-point movement of ousting the government.
"We have a one-point demand. That is constitutional elections. Our one-point demand is elections under Sheikh Hasina," he said while addressing a peace rally organised by Dhaka Metropolitan South and North Awami League at the Baitul Mokarram South Gate in the capital on Wednesday.
The Road Transport and Bridges minister said, "BNP's one-point demand is the resignation of Sheikh Hasina. We will not have an election without Sheikh Hasina. BNP knows that they will lose the election. They will be swept away in the face of Sheikh Hasina's popularity.
