Thousands of leaders and activists of Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its associate bodies participated in a public rally marking the International Democracy Day in front of the party’s Nayapaltan central office on Tuesday afternoon.

The rally formally began at about 2:30pm with the recitation from the holy Quran.

BNP leaders and activists started gathering in front of their party office with party flags, banners and festoons at about 12:00pm to join the rally.

They were chanting various slogans.

Earlier on Wednesday, BNP announced a two-day programme to pay homage in memory of those who were killed in the movements against authoritarian rule over the past 17 years and to mark International Democracy Day. Then it rescheduled the rally to Tuesday.

BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman will address the Naya Paltan rally virtually from London as the chief guest with party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir in chair.