The country’s two major political parties, the ruling Awami League and the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, are out to show their strength today through separate rallies within a distance of 1.4 kilometres in Dhaka.

The BNP called the rally in front of its Naya Paltan central office at 3:00pm to declare its programme for a one-point movement aiming to oust the government, while AL announced to hold a ‘peace rally’ at the south gate of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque around the same time, protesting at ‘terrorism and anarchy’.

The political showdown came at a time when two foreign delegations, respectively from the European Union and the United States, were in Bangladesh to hold talks with different stakeholders over various issues, including a free and fair general election, democracy, and human rights.

The BNP decided on Saturday night at a meeting to hold the rally in front of its Naya Paltan central office in Dhaka, a day before AL declared that it would hold a ‘peace rally’ in front of its Bangabandhu Avenue central office.

The AL later shifted the rally venue to the south gate of the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque.

On Tuesday night, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police gave written permission to both the Awami League and the BNP to hold their rallies at their preferred venues and times.

The police also imposed 23 conditions for the rallies. Both parties were asked not to carry rods or sticks, make any anti-state speeches, and end their programmes by 5:00pm.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police spokesperson Faruk Hossain, however, said he was unaware if the AL had formally sought permission for their rally.

Though the BNP this time got police permission smoothly, the party faced a massive obstacle in December last year when it sought permission to hold its divisional rally in front of the party office but was denied.

Around 200 leaders and activists, including BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, were arrested days ahead of the rally while police raided the party office and clashed with its activists on December 7, killing at least one.

The US embassy in Bangladesh and the Australian high commission in Dhaka issued separate alerts for their citizens now staying in Bangladesh ahead of today’s rallies and counter-rallies.

BNP and its allies said they would also today make  a joint declaration for the simultaneous movement that started in December intending to oust the AL government.

According to BNP, the party will announce the joint declaration on behalf of the party at Naya Paltan central office at 2:00pm, Ganatantra Mancha will declare it at a press conference from National Press Club at 4:00pm, 12-party at 3:00pm from Dhaka Reporters Unity,

Jatiyatabadi Samamana Jote at 3:00pm, Liberal Democratic Party at 5:00pm, Gono Forum at 4:00pm, Nurul Haque Nur led Gana Odhikar Parishad, Reza Kibria led Gana Odhikar Parishad, Democratic Left Alliance, Bangladesh Labour Party, Samamana Ganatantrik Peshajibi Jote and Bangladesh Sadaran Chatra Odhikar Sangrakhan Parishad at 3:00 pm in different venues.

BNP Dhaka North City Unit member secretary Aminul Islam told New Age that they had made the necessary preparations to hold the rally peacefully.

He said that they expected nearly 2 lakh people to join the rally from Dhaka and neighbouring districts.

He said that the party used public announcement systems and distributed handbills among the people in Dhaka, urging all to join the rally.

Several BNP leaders told New Age that the one-point movement would focus on Dhaka.

In this case, the first phase of the movement could be programmed like the human chain, road march, procession, protest rallies, and sit-in strikes.

They said that the party would call on people to join these programmes.

At the final stage, programmes like long march to Dhaka, road march, let’s go Dhaka, besiege the secretariat, besiege the Prime Minister’s Office, besiege the Ganobhaban, besiege the Election Commission, besiege Dhaka will be held, they said.

Meanwhile, the ruling Awami League has instructed the party leaders and activists to ensure maximum presence on the streets today to show their strength.

Dhaka Metropolitan South Unit Awami League office secretary Riaz Uddin Riaz told New Age that the ‘peace rally’ would protest against ‘terrorism and anarchy.’

He said that the party’s general secretary, Obaidul Quader, and other central leaders were expected to address the rally.

Addressing a programme in Dhaka, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said that the BNP had announced to hold a peaceful public rally in the capital as they had done in the past.

‘But they [AL] have announced so-called counter programmes, a peace rally, or a peace march, pushing the country towards conflict,’ he said.

He warned that the government would have to shoulder all the responsibilities for taking the country towards violence with its provocative actions.

Fakhrul called upon the government to retreat from these efforts that would destabilise the country, and work to create a truly democratic state system by accepting the opposition’s demand for holding an acceptable national election under a neutral administration.

Fakhrul said that the government had recently been saying that they did not obstruct political parties from doing their political activities.

He questioned whether there was any other democratic party in the world except BNP, whose four million leaders and workers faced false political cases, the chief of the party had been convicted on false charges, and all the senior leaders of the party were implicated in false cases.

‘Competitive elections are the key elements to uphold democratic practice. This country’s rulers talk about democracy, but they never practise it,’ he said.

DMP deputy commission for media Faruk said BNP was asked to restrict their rally from Nightingale crossing to Central Police Hospital crossing.

Khandaker Mahid Uddin, the additional commissioner (crime and operations), said they would ensure the safety of the public, city dwellers, and the rallies themselves, as well as smooth transport.

DMP held several meetings at different levels to finalise security arrangements.

Alongside crime zone personnel, the Detective Branch of the police will be deployed on the field, while SWAT teams and armoured vehicles will be on alert, said a senior official.

DC Faruk said that as both parties’ rally venues were within a very short distance, they had already taken a few security measures keeping security concerns in mind.

Huge police personnel will be deployed at Paltan crossing and Baitul Mukarram areas to avoid untoward incidents, he said.

The police deployment number would be higher than in previous rallies, and the police would decide on traffic diversion based on people’s gatherings, he added.