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From its mammoth rally in the capital's Nayapaltan, BNP yesterday announced sit-ins for today at all the major entry points to Dhaka as part of the party's larger movement to force the government to hold the upcoming national election under a non-party government.
In a late-night development, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police said they will not allow any such programmes, but BNP sources said they will go ahead with their planned sit-ins.
The sit-ins will be staged from 11:00am to 4:00pm at nine points.
Dhaka north city unit of BNP will hold sit-ins in front of Uttara BNS Centre and Gabtoli's SA Khalek Bus Station. Dhaka south city unit will stage those in front of Nayabazar BNP office and in front of Dania College on Chattogram Road at Jatrabari.
The party will also stage sit-ins at Sonir Akhra, Mukti Sarani, Gabtoli and Yousuf Super Market at Nayabazar.
"Our programme will be completely peaceful and is our constitutional right. We expect that the administration will carry out its constitutional duty to allow us to hold our programmes peacefully. I request the administration and the government again to extend their cooperation," Fakhrul told the rally joined by tens of thousands of party activists from across the country.
Yesterday's rally was scheduled to begin at 2:00pm, but the venue was packed with BNP leaders and activists by 9:30am as thousands of party supporters thronged Nayapaltan and its adjacent areas since Thursday night.
Roads and alleys stretching from Fakirapul to Kakrail Mosque were crowded with BNP activists, halting traffic in the area. By noon, the ever-expanding rally crowd spilled over onto nearby roads and streets and spaces up to Shantinagar.
They chanted various anti-government slogans, as they carried banners, festoons, placards, and portraits of the party's top leaders.
"Go back Hasina, step down Hasina," one placard read.
"We and 36 political parties, and even those who are not with us, have agreed that there will be no election under the Awami League government. This government must resign, and parliament must be dissolved. The election must be conducted under a non-partisan, neutral government," Fakhrul said, speaking as chief guest.