Dhaka: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairperson Khaleda Zia on Sunday called for forging a national unity for bringing qualitative changes in politics.

The BNP chief also demanded deployment of army with magistracy power for holding the next national election in a free and fair manner.

She made the call while delivering her speech at a rally at Suhrawardy Udyan in capital Dhaka marking what it said 'the civil-military uprising on November 7, 1975'.

Khaleda Zia urged the Chief Election Commissioner not to use the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) during the polls.

She alleged that Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha was barred from returning to the country as he spoke the truth.

The BNP rally formally began with the participation of huge party leaders and activists at about 2:00pm with recitation from the holy Quran.

Huge law enforcers have been deployed in and around the rally venue to avert any possible untoward incident.

Leaders and activists of the party started gathering at the venue in small processions since noon.

The party, however, alleged that the government has stopped bus services from different adjacent districts to the capital in a planned way to prevent gathering of people in its rally at Suhrawardy Udyan.

BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi came up with the allegation while talking to reporters at the rally venue.