The BNP will bring out a black flag procession in the capital on Saturday protesting denial of permission to the party to hold a rally today.

Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, senior joint secretary general of BNP, announced the programme at a press conference at the party's Nayapaltan central office yesterday.

“We sought permission from police to organise a public rally either at the Suhrawardy Udyan or in front of our Nayapaltan central office. We took all necessary preparations, but the police did not give us permission,” said Rizvi.

The BNP had drawn up a plan to hold the rally demanding release of party Chairperson Khaleda Zia.

Rizvi alleged that the government took all measures to make sure that the BNP could not arrange the rally.

He said fresh agitation programmes would be announced soon demanding release of the BNP chief.

Meanwhile, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir yesterday said the government has “dug a grave for democracy by snatching people's rights”.

“We on behalf of our Chairperson Khaleda Zia paid tributes to the language martyrs .We are unfortunate that we are observing the day [Amar Ekushey] at a time when a grave has been dug for democracy by destroying all democratic institutions and snatching all rights of the people, including the voting rights,” he told reporters after placing wreaths at the Central Shaheed Minar.

The BNP leader reiterated the demand for freeing Khaleda immediately.

Fakhrul said the party men were observing the day with broken hearts and anger as the chairperson was sent to jail in a graft case.

He renewed his party's call to people to forge national unity to restore democracy. He said his party would continue its efforts to build unity.