The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, after holding a similar programme in Dhaka, on Thursday announced to stage marches in 10 other metropolitan cities on May 23 and 28 to press home the party’s 10-point demand, including holding the next general election under a non-party caretaker government.

BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi made the announcement at a press conference at party central office at Naya Paltan in Dhaka.

He said that the programme was also meant for registering the party’s protest against the filing of ‘ghost’ cases against opposition leaders and activists, soaring prices of essentials, frequent power cuts and the all-pervasive corruption by the Awami League government.

‘We staged marches in Dhaka city’s north and south areas on Wednesday. Our programme was successful. A similar programme will be observed by BNP in all metropolitan cities, except Dhaka south and north cities, on May 23 and 28,’ Rizvi said.

On Wednesday, BNP’s Dhaka South and North City units staged spate marches towards Malibagh from Basabo and Shahjadpur areas in the capital respectively to realise the same demands.

Thousands of leaders and activists of BNP and its associate bodies joined the marches, carrying banners, festoons and portraits of the party’s top leaders.

Before the Eid-ul-Fitr, BNP observed the march programme across the country including the capital in several phases to press home their 10-point demand.