Gonotontro Moncho brings out mass procession in Dhaka

The Gonotontro Moncho on Friday brought out a mass procession in the capital as part of the simultaneous movement of the opposition parties and alliances to unseat the current government.

The leaders and activists of the Ganatantra Mancha gathered at the Nayapaltan area and started their procession from the Jatiya Press Club around 11am.

The other opposition parties and alliances will also bring out mass processions in the capital from different points.

The BNP leaders and activists gathered in front of the party's Nayapaltan central office for carrying out their procession at 2pm. They started thronging the Nayapaltan area in the morning, carrying placards with photos of the party's top leaders.

A large number of law enforcers have been deployed in the area.

Also, as per the schedules, the 12-Party Alliance will bring out a procession from the Fakirapool Panir Tank area, Jatiyatabadi Samamona Jote from Purana Paltan Crossing, LDP from FDC Crossing and Jamaat-e-Islami from the north gate of Baitul Mukarram Mosque around 2:30pm.

After the procession, the opposition parties and alliances are likely to announce fresh programmes to intensify their simultaneous movement.

The BNP and other opposition parties and alliances are observing December 30 as a "Black Day," marking the anniversary of the 11th parliamentary election held on this day in 2018.

The BNP standing committee members sat in a meeting on Thursday afternoon to work out their next course of action. A party standing committee member, wishing anonymity, said they may announce a sit-in programme as the next programme of their simultaneous movement.

Around 33 like-minded political parties, including the BNP, will hold the mass procession programmes in the capital to push for their 10-point demand, including the resignation of the government, dissolution of parliament, transfer of power to a non-partisan caretaker government and formation of a new election commission.

On December 24, the BNP held the mass procession programme in all divisional cities and district headquarters.

Due to the national council programme of the Awami League, the BNP rescheduled the same programme for December 30.

Meanwhile, BNP Vice-Chairman AZM Zahid Hossain said at a press briefing at the party's Nayapaltan central office on Thursday that their mass procession programme would be held peacefully.

He said their procession will end at Nayapaltan after parading different roads through Bijoynagar, Kakrail, Shantinagar, Malibagh and Moghbazar intersections.