Jubo League's grand rally today, Hasina to be present
Jubo League is all set to hold a mammoth rally in the capital today.
Although the rally is aimed at marking the golden jubilee of the Awami League's youth wing, AL insiders say that the gathering is meant to show the ruling party's strength and popularity and give a fitting reply to BNP's ongoing anti-government movement and series of rallies.
The main attraction of the gathering will be the presence of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as the chief guest.
This will be the first-ever appearance of Hasina, also president of ruling AL, in any public rally since the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
After the divisional rallies of the BNP that pulled huge crowds, such a grand rally will be the maiden one by any associate body of AL.
Though the Jubo League is organising the rally, AL, its associate bodies and pro-AL organisations are working to ensure the presence of around 10 lakh people at the Suhrawardy Udyan, said Jubo League leaders.
"Jubo League men from 64 districts will join the rally. We will also show our strength through this rally as a counter to the divisional rallies of BNP," an organising secretary of Jubo League told The Daily Star, seeking anonymity.
Since the BNP started holding of a series of rallies as part of its fresh anti-government movement, the AL has decided to remain on the streets, said an AL leader who was present at the AL working committee meeting on October 28.
The party also decided to hold six to seven rallies in Dhaka over the next two months to counter the BNP "heating up" the country's political arena ahead of the next national elections, slated for January 2024.
Talking to The Daily Star, Mainul Hossain Khan Nikhil, general secretary of the Jubo League, said, "The rally will not be limited to youth gatherings. We believe that people from all walks of life, especially those who love the country and love the people, will turn this rally into a large gathering."
"This rally is against the criminal activities of the BNP-Jamaat who carried out vandalism and arson attacks in the name of movement," he added.
Sheikh Fazlul Haque Moni, nephew of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, founded the AL's youth body on November 11, 1972.
The BNP earlier announced that it would stage rallies in 10 divisional cities to protest the ongoing power crisis, price hikes of daily essentials and the killing of five of its activists in police firing in Bhola, Narayanganj, Munshiganj and Jashore during the anti-government movement.
The party has so far held five rallies at five divisional headquarters and is going to organise the next rally in Faridpur tomorrow.
It plans to wrap up its divisional rallies through a huge gathering in Dhaka city on December 10.
PREPARATION
To make the Jubo League rally a success, leaders and activists of its different units hold a series of preparatory meetings.
A huge boat-shaped stage was built at the Suhrawardy Udyan while banners and festoons were put up around the rally venue.
Entry to the venue has been closed for the last two days for security reasons.