Khaleda faces obstruction in campaign
Obstructed by the ruling Awami League men, BNP chief Khaleda Zia's campaign for Tabith Awal was abandoned midway in the capital's Uttara last night.
Her car had to turn into Airport Road around 7:00pm from House Building area of Uttara-7 instead of going towards Uttara-8 as 10-12 youths threw sticks with black flags at the her security personnel's vehicle at the front of the motorcade, eyewitnesses told The Daily Star.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Apart from police and her personal security force, BNP leaders and activists encircled her car and helped it pass the area.
After leaving her Gulshan residence around 4:30pm, Khaleda first faced demonstration by the ruling party activists near the Khilkhet crossing on her way to Uttara.
Later, over 100 ruling party men carrying sticks with black flags in three separate groups chased her motorcade and blocked roads while it was passing Rajlaxmi Complex, Rajuk Commercial Complex and North Tower in Uttara.
Led by SM Mahbub and Afsar Uddin, joint secretary and organising secretary of Uttara thana AL, and Sayedul Islam, organising secretary of Uttara West Chhatra League, ruling party activists chanted slogans against Khaleda, denouncing the killing of innocent people during the BNP-led hartal and blockade.
From Uttara, she went to the city's Norda. Talking to reporters there, she claimed her electioneering was facing a lot of obstacles.
“But I don't care -- people are with us. Tabith's popularity is driving the Awami League mad. It is restoring to criminal activities,” Khaleda said after wrapping up her electioneering at Norda.
During her campaign at Suvastu Nazar Valley, Shajahadpur in Badda, she told reporters that they were getting huge response from voters.
“Revolution will take place if voters can cast their votes properly on the polls day,” she said, adding the BNP was demanding army deployment for a free and fair city corporation election. “But the Awami League does not want it as it has planned to rig the election.”
When Khaleda reached Sector-1 of Uttara, some 100 AL men carrying black flags marched towards the motorcade from opposite direction.
In spite of police members and Khaleda's personal security personnel's vigilance, some protesters reached close to the BNP chief's vehicle and kept shouting at her.
However, police and Khaleda's security personnel forced them away from the motorcade, said Sayrul Kabir Khan, a member of BNP chief's media wing.
Surrounded by the party men, police and Khaleda's security personnel, her vehicle sped towards Amir Plaza, the next stop of her campaign. On the way, agitators chased the car for about 100 yards.
After Amir Plaza, Khaleda went to House Building area of Sector-7 where she faced similar demonstration by the ruling party men.
It was the second consecutive day of her campaign for Tabith, the party-backed mayoral hopeful for Dhaka North City Corporation.
Khaleda visited several shops and shopping malls in Uttara, Norda and Badda with BNP supporters distributing leaflets and posters among people, and using laud hailers.
She returned home around 9:15pm.
AL'S PLAN
Sources said the AL in a planned way yesterday staged the demonstrations as the party wanted to embarrass the BNP chief during her campaign.
Recently at a programme, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said Khaleda might face people's resistance if she took to the streets.
Asked about yesterday's protest, Afsar Uddin of Uttara thana Awami League, said people staged demonstration on their own to register protest against Khaleda's “violent politics”.
Afsar, also an AL-backed councillor candidate for DNCC Ward-1, said he was in Rampura when Khaleda was visiting Uttara.
Insiders said the ruling party has planned that wherever Khaleda would go for campaigning, it would distribute leaflets highlighting recent blockade violence and killings.
The party has also planned to organise human chain by those who were affected during the opposition's anti-government movement.
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