Women not safe in country

Women are not safe in the country now because incidents of violence are occurring one after another against them, BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said yesterday.

"The country's people have no security of their lives and property. Our mothers and sisters are not safe here," he said in a brief address before a party procession started from the Naya Paltan central office to mark the 46th Independence and National Day.

The BNP leader said people did not have the right to express their thoughts, while the freedom of the media was snatched.

Participants of the huge colourful procession paraded different roads through Bijoynagar, Kakrail and Shantinagar before stopping at the Malibagh intersection.

Thousands of leaders and activists of BNP and its associate bodies carrying banners, placards and portraits of top leaders joined the procession that started around 3:20pm.

Party insiders said the BNP leaders from the capital's different units thronged Naya Paltan with their followers to attract the attention of the party high-ups ahead of the formation of BNP's new committee.

In his speech, Fakhrul also called upon the party activists to get united putting behind all differences among them to "restore" democracy through a movement.

He said even after 45 years of independence, the nation was still clamouring for democracy. "We're still on a movement for realising our democratic rights. As a nation, it's very unfortunate for us."