Dhaka: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairperson Khaleda Zia on Sunday alleged that the government thwarted people to join the party rally despite giving permission to hold rally at Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka.

Khaleda Zia also said she herself faced obstacles in her way to Suhrawardy Udyan from her Gulshan residence.

Khaleda Zia also blasted the government for creating barricades at all entry points across the capital so that the leaders and activists cannot reach the rally venue.

‘The government has exposed its narrow minded attitude by doing so,’ the former prime minister added.

Khaleda Zia said there will be differences in the multi-party democracy system but we have to be united for the sake of the country and people.

‘The upcoming general election must be held under a neutral government and army will have to be deployed with magistracy power,’ Khaleda Zia made the demand.

Claiming that no fair and credible polls can be held under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as the overseer, Khaleda Zia said the people’s rights to vote will have to be given back by holding the next general election under a neutral government.

She also criticised the authorities concerned for their attempt to use electronic voting machine in the next general election and said such electronic voting machines should not be allowed in the election.

The BNP chief came up with the remarks while addressing the party’s rally at Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka on Sunday afternoon.

Khaleda Zia started to deliver her speech at about 4:00pm with the participation of huge party leaders and activists.

BNP’s rally has formally begun at about 2:00pm on Sunday with recitation from the holy Quran.

Huge law enforcers have been deployed in and around the rally venue.

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.

"The government has stopped mass transport in a planned way so that BNP leaders and activists and common people can't join our rally. They're also obstructing long-distance buses. Even, train services to the capital are also being disrupted," he said.

The BNP leader said the government will not be able to resist the mass wave of people by creating such obstacle. "We've informed that our leaders and activists are coming to the rally on foot or riding other vehicles."

She last addressed a rally at the same venue on January 20, 2014, 15 days after the 10th parliamentary polls.

On November 3, the BNP announced to hold the rally at the Suhrawardy Udyan on November 8, marking what it said "the civil-military uprising on November 7, 1975". Later, the party deferred it to Sunday.

The party on Saturday said the government has given it permission for the rally on 23 conditions.

As per the conditions set by the DMP, the rally will have to be concluded by 5:00pm and the BNP leaders and activist will be allowed to enter the meeting venue two hours before the beginning of the rally.

The other conditions are refraining from showing any cartoon or making any statement hurting religious sentiments, making any provocative statement, carrying out any anti-state, anti-peace activities, creating any obstacle to traffic, using loudspeakers at unapproved places, using rods and sticks with banners and festoons, entering the venue with processions and gathering on footpaths.