Dhaka: Having failed to get permission to hold its Monday’s scheduled rally in the capital, BNP now announced to hold similar programme at Suhrawardy Udyan on March 19.

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir came up with the announcement at a press conference at the party’s Nayapaltan central office.

‘Though we had all the necessary preparations for today’s rally, police denied us permission for staging the rally on security grounds. But we want to avoid any types of conflicts and confrontation and want to exercise opposition’s democratic rights of holding rallies and meetings in a peaceful manner,’ he said.

Fakhrul further said, ‘We’re trying to tackle everything with patience. That’s why we’ve taken a different decision instead of announcing any protest progrmme.  BNP will hold this rally at the Suhrawardy Udyan on March 19.’

The BNP leader hoped that good sense will prevail upon the government to allow the party to hold the rally on March 19.

On March 2, BNP announced to hold a rally at Suhrawardy Udyan today, demanding the release of its chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia from jail.

The DMP authorities, however, informed BNP on Sunday night that they could not permit the party to hold its rally on security grounds.