BNP activists continue to gather on Alia Madrasa ground in Sylhet city's Chowhatta area, hours before the rally starts.

Chanting slogans and holding placards, BNP supporters have been marching towards the venue in procession since dawn.

Meanwhile, the BNP has finalised all its preparations for the rally, reports our Sylhet correspondent.

Photo: Sheikh Nasir

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, the chief guest at the rally, and other central leaders reached Sylhet last night.

Though the transport strike almost cut off Sylhet from the rest of the country, the activists, mostly from the four districts in Sylhet division, travelled to the city on rented buses, trucks, private vehicles, motorcycles and boats.

While talking to The Daily Star this morning, Masuk Mia, a BNP supporter of Sunamganj's Dowarabazar upazila, "There is no peace during this party's (the Awami League) rule. The price of everything is high... I decided to protest and came to Sylhet on a boat because of the transport strike."

Photo: Sheikh Nasir

Masuk went to Sylhet yesterday afternoon and spend the night at a community centre.

Hazrat Ali of Sylhet's Jaintapur Upazila, who stayed at a relative's house after reaching the city, said, "I had to come a day before the rally as they enforced a transport strike for today [Saturday]. I heard vehicles are being barred from coming to Sylhet since this morning," he said.

Talking to this newspaper, Fazle Elahi, a resident of Sylhet city, said, "I arrived at the venue early to secure my place in the front row. Due to a huge crowd, I feared that I might not be able to enter the venue if I was late."

The main purpose of various ministers' conflicting statements about whether BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia could engage in politics was to divert attention from BNP's ongoing movement, the party's Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said today.

Speaking to The Daily Star, Fakhrul said despite this attempt to "create confusion", the party's focus remains on its 10-point demand.

"Begum Zia is ill. Even today [Monday] she will go to the hospital for a health checkup. These [ministers' statements] are being said to create confusion between our party and the people. Besides, a section of the government wants to show the people that they are allowing Khaleda Zia to do politics. Another part says she can't do politics…"

Between February 19 and 23, four ministers -- Law Minister Anisul Huq, Road Transport and Bridges Minister and Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader, Agriculture Minister Abdur Razzaque and Information Minister Hasan Mahmud -- came out with conflicting statements on Khaleda's participation in politics.

After the law minister said there was no legal bar on Khaleda from engaging in politics, Quader and Mahmud said she could not engage in politics as she was convicted in a corruption case. Razzaque, meanwhile, echoed the law minister and said she could engage in politics.

All four, however, maintained that the former prime minister could not contest elections, as she was convicted.

"Our main issue is the 10-point demand, including a non-party caretaker government," Fakhrul told The Daily Star today. "They are creating this confusion to divert the discussion from this issue. If this confusion can be created, the government will benefit.

"They should talk about how to form a caretaker government, how to form a neutral government, how to hold a neutral election.""The character of Awami League that existed before the Liberation War is no longer there. Even the democratic position that the party had before 2007 is not there. It has completely become a dictatorship. They are in power and are trying to use that power to wipe out and eliminate opposition."

Placing emphasis on the party's 10-point demand, Mirza Fakhrul said, "We want a meaningful and fair election with the participation of all, which is not possible under the Awami League government. Therefore, elections should be held under a neutral government."

Asked what BNP would do if there is no caretaker government, as AL leaders including Quader have asserted, Fakhrul said, "We will fulfil the demand through agitation. No movement has seen success overnight. We have come a long way."

About BNP's ongoing movement, he said, "Our [road] march is very successful. Obstacles are coming FROM everywhere, but the movement is getting stronger with the spontaneous participation of the people. We are conducting all our movements peacefully and will continue do so.

"Despite their provocations, we ourselves have not broken the peace anywhere. We have not carried out any programme where there was a possibility of breach of peace."

"The Awami League have been conducting counter-programmes and creating conflict. The police are firing at our movement … Awami league, Chhatra League are attacking. So far, 17 BNP leaders and activists have been killed. And the biggest weapon they have always used is filing numerous false cases.

"But people can't be stopped. In every part of the country, people are coming out of their homes to join the movement," he added.

About Awami League's allegation that BNP engages in terrorism, Fakhrul said, "It is a lie. No point of making allegations; you have to prove it. None of the allegations against us in 2013-14 are true. In 2018, they used the state, carried out terrorism, false cases and conducted one-sided elections. Our intellectuals, media are not able to catch them. I know why it can't. There are various pressures, pressure is being put on the media, self-censorship has come among them.

A Dhaka court has issued summons against three BNP leaders, including its Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, asking him to appear before it on July 14 in a case filed on charge of instigating students for creating anarchy during movement for road safety in 2018.

Two others are BNP Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed and its standing committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Ashek Imam on June 12 passed the order after accepting the probe report submitted by an inspector of Tejgaon Police Station.

On August 6, 2018, AB Siddique, president of Jananetri Parishad, a pro-Awami League organisation, filed the case against them with the Court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate HM Toaha.

During that movement on August 4, a reported audio clip of a telephonic conversation between Amir Khasru and an unknown person over intensifying the ongoing student movement went viral on Facebook and YouTube.

After an investigation, Mohammad Sentu Miah, an inspector of Tejgaon Police Station and also the investigation officer of the case, on February 6 of 2019 submitted the probe report.

In the probe report, the IO said that the charges brought against the three leaders were primarily proved and they should be brought under trial for their alleged involvement with instigating students for creating anarchy during road safety.

The students took to the streets after Dia Khanam Mim and Abdul Karim Rajib, students of Shaheed Ramiz Uddin Cantonment College, were killed as a Jabal-e-Noor bus ploughed through a crowd while competing with another bus of the same company on Airport Road on July 29 of 2018.

On December 1 of 2019, another Dhaka court sentenced two drivers Masum Billah and Jubayer Sumon and helper Asad Kazi of Jabal-e-Noor Paribahan to life imprisonment in a case filed over deaths of the students.

Dr Shamaruh Mirza, daughter of BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, has been honoured with Australia's most prestigious – "Australian of the Year" -- award.

The award was handed over at National Gallery of Australia around 11am local time today (November 9, 2022).

Last year's winner Luke Ferguson and ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr handed over the award to Shamaruh.

Dr Shamaruh told The Daily Star over phone that, "It's not like that I alone have gotten the award. Our organisation 'SiTara's Story' and everyone associated with it received the award. This honour is also for the people of Bangladesh."

"I think such a big achievement adds to our responsibility and reminds us that we have a lot more to do," she said.

Shamaruh Mirza is a medical scientist. Since 2006, she has been living in Canberra, the capital of Australia.

The "Australian of the Year Award" is a programme of the National Australia Day Council. The nation presents this award each year to recognise the services and achievements of well-known Australians who serve as role models for all citizens. They challenge themselves to help develop an inclusive, resilient Australia, and they serve as an inspiration for the country through their achievements.

The "Best Australians of the Year" are chosen from 32 states and territories by the National Australia Day Council Board. On the eve of Australia Day in Canberra, the names of national award recipients were announced to end this year's prestigious event.