The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Sunday said that the party’s divisional rally in Sylhet would be held on November 19, instead of the pre-scheduled date of November 20.

The party chairperson’s adviser Khandaker Abdul Muktadir made the announcement at a press conference organised by Sylhet district and city units of BNP at a hotel in Sylhet city.

He said that they fixed the new date as police would not allow any rally on Sylhet Alia Madrasa ground, the selected venue for holding the rally, on the pre-scheduled date due to the HSC examination.

‘That is why, we set November 19 as the new date for holding our Sylhet divisional rally,’ he said.

He said that they expected that over 4.5 lakh people would join the rally even if there were obstacles like previous divisional rallies.

BNP chairperson’s adviser Enamul Haque Chowdhury, BNP assistant organising secretary Kalim Uddin Milon, Sylhet district BNP president Abdul Qayyum Chowdhury and city BNP convener Abdul Qayum Jalali, among others, were present at the press briefing.

On September 28, the BNP announced plans to hold mass rallies in the divisional city headquarters for the next two months as part of its ongoing movement demanding the resignation of the AL-led government and the release of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, protesting at the abnormal increase in the price of fuel oil and daily commodities and the killing of BNP leaders and activists.

The party organised rallies in Chattogram on October 12 amid arrests and attacks, in Mymensingh on October 15 amid a sudden transport strike, in Khulna on October 22 amid bus and launch strikes, attacks and arrests, in Rangpur on October 29 amid a two-day bus strike from October 28 and in Barishal on November 5 amid a two-day strike of almost all modes of transports.