The long march was started from Muktangan in Dhaka on February 25.

Yesterday's rally was addressed by among others, the party's central leaders Khalequzzaman, Sudhangsu Chakraborti, Mobinul Haider Chowdhury, Abdullah Sarker, Bazlur Rashid Firoz and Razekuzzaman Ratan.

Kurigram BSD Co-coordinator Zahedul Hoque Milu was in the chair.

The long march was organised also to press some demands including government steps to ensure adequate supply of power, fuel and fertiiser to farmers for IRRI-Boro cultivation and containing price spiral of essentials and crimes.

Khalequzzaman criticis the government for what he called its 'weak foreign policy' that inspired India to take up its massive river inter-linking project violating

international laws.

He said, the entire river systems in Bangladesh will be affected and start drying up if India implements its project to withdraw and divert flows of international rivers in the upstream.

Bangladesh is already experiencing the aftermath of withdrawal of Padma waters through Farakka barrage. India is also constructing another barrage in the upstream of Surma and Kushiyara rivers in Sylhet. This will dry up the Meghna river. The BSD leaders urged the government to raise the issue in international forums to create world opinion in favour of Bangladesh.

They also called upon all political parties to organise massive protests in the country against the Indian move.

On way from Rangpur to Kurigram, the marchers also held several wayside rallies at Kounia, Fakirertakea, Borobari, and Kathalbari.

Speakers at the rallies criticised the government for its failure to ensure adequate supply of fertiliser, fuel and power to farmers during the current IRRI-Boro season and contain price spiral of essentials and corruption.