Poor show in BNP's march

The BNP yesterday received a lukewarm response from its leaders and activists to celebrate the Tigers' victory in Monday's World Cup match against England.

To mark the victory, the BNP-led alliance had relaxed its ongoing hartal for 12 hours from yesterday morning till evening and asked the party men to hold processions across the country.

But the party men's presence in the streets was thin.

In the capital, around 60 leaders and activists of the BNP and its associate bodies and some pro-BNP journalists brought out a brief procession in the Jatiya Press Club area. 

BNP chairperson's Adviser Shawkat Mahmood, party Assistant Office Secretary Asadul Karim Shahin and acting convener of the Peshajibi Parishad Ruhul Amin Gazi, among others, were present.

Police, however, stopped them when the procession tried to go towards the High Court area, witnesses said.

Thus barred, they held a rally near the second gate of the press club and congratulated the Bangladesh team on Khaleda Zia's behalf.

The party also organised processions in Indira Road, Tejgaon and Malibagh areas. But everywhere, participation of the party men was poor and no senior leaders were seen in any of these processions.

Abu Syed Khan Khokon, joint convener of Dhaka city BNP, said they tried to gather in large numbers but could not do so for fear of police harassment.

Police detained five BNP men, including Raihan Amin Rony, assistant sports secretary of the party's central committee.

Detectives picked up Rony and another BNP leader from in front of Khaleda's Gulshan office while they were hanging a banner congratulating the Bangladesh team. Gulshan police later released the two.

The three others, picked up near Aziz Super Market on suspicion, were held by Shahbagh police till last night.  

Outside the capital, the 20-party alliance held processions in different districts, including Khulna, Bogra, Mymensingh, Gaibandha and Kushtia.

Asked why party men's presence was thin in all these processions, Ebaidul Haq Khan, president of Barisal district BNP, said many of the party leaders and activists are either behind bars or on the run. 

Also, they could not gather in big numbers fearing police action.

Meanwhile, the ruling Awami League and its different associated bodies yesterday brought out processions in the capital and elsewhere in the country to celebrate Tigers' victory.

Carrying placards, festoons, banners, and musical instrument in their hands, the AL men in the processions sang songs, performed dances and sprinkled coloured water on each other.

Hundreds of AL men gathered in front of the party central office on Bangabandhu Avenue around 10:00am. City AL General Secretary Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya led a procession around noon.

The AL men chanted slogans and lauded the members of the Bangladesh cricket team for their exciting win against England.