The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Monday announced a series of nationwide programmes, including rallies, tributes, poster campaigns and a photography exhibition, to observe the historic National Revolution and Solidarity Day on 7 November.
BNP Acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed announced the programmes while briefing journalists after a joint meeting held ahead of the day in the noon.
According to the announced programmes, the national and party flags will be hoisted at 6am on 7 November at the BNP’s central office in Dhaka and all party offices across the country.
The party will also organise colourful rallies centrally in Dhaka and at district and upazila levels across the country.
At 11am, BNP leaders and activists will pay tribute and place wreaths at the graves of Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. They will also recite Fateha there.
Rizvi said the party’s affiliated and associate organisations would hold separate programmes, including poster campaigns and discussion meetings.
The Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal will organise an art competition and a photography exhibition as part of the observance.
He said various social and political organisations, including those not affiliated with the BNP, had also informed the party that they would arrange different programmes marking the day.
Rizvi said district units would undertake similar programmes, including rallies, while the party would instruct its upazila units to organise rallies as well.
Regarding the BNP’s own discussion meeting, Rizvi said a tentative date of 6 November had been set after consultations.
The final date would be announced after discussions with senior party leaders and the Prime Minister and party chairman, Tarique Rahman, and his approval.
He said other affiliated organisations had also prepared tentative dates for their discussion meetings. The BNP would provide the details of all programmes in writing to the media.
Rizvi also said 7 November had been declared a public holiday by the government led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
He said the day had traditionally been a public holiday, but it was cancelled when the “fascists” came to power. The current government had reinstated the public holiday, he added.
Those present at the joint meeting included BNP Joint Secretary Generals Habib-un-Nabi Khan Sohel, Water Resources Minister Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anne, Khairul Kabir Khokon, Syed Emran Saleh Prince, Publicity Secretary Sultan Salahuddin Tuku, Volunteer Affairs Secretary Mir Sarafat Ali Sapu, among others were present at the programmes.
Leaders of the BNP’s affiliated and associate organisations were also present at the programmes.