Oikya Front begins rally in Sylhet
Jatiya Oikya Front began its maiden rally at the Registry Field in Sylhet to mobilise public support in favour of the alliance's seven-point demand, including holding the 11th parliamentary polls under a non-party administration, reports UNB.
The rally activities started around 2pm on Wednesday with recitation from the holy Quran and holy Gita. Sylhet city mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury is presiding over the rally.
Kamal Hossain will address the rally as the chief guest while BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir as the main speaker.
Sylhet district unit general secretary Abu Kaher Chowdhury Shamim was the first speaker of the rally.
It is the first political programme of the new alliance of four parties--BNP, Gano Forum, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD-Rob) and Nagorik Oaky-- since its formation on 13 October.
Before the start of the rally, the senior leaders of the Oikya Front visited the Shrines of Hazrat Shahjalal (R), Shah Paran (R) and the grave of General MAG Osmani, and offered fateha there on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.
Several hundred leaders and activists of the party holding placards, banners and portraits of BNP founder Ziaur Rahman, chairperson Khaleda Zia and acting chairman Tarique Rahman started thronging the rally venue since noon. They chanted various slogans demanding Khaleda's release from jail.
Huge law enforcers have been deployed in the city and around the rally venue to maintain law and order.
The Oikya Front's seven-point demand includes installation of a neutral interim government, dissolution of parliament, reconstitution the election commission, release of all political prisoners, deployment of army and cancellation of the move to use electronic voting machine (EVM) for holding the next polls in fair and acceptable manner.
After the Sylhet Rally, Oikya Front is scheduled to hold another such programme at Laldighi Maidan in Chattogram city on 27 October. However, they alliance did not yet get permission for the rally.
