3 hours' journey made in 9: Rangpur rally venue packed

The Collectorate Eidgah ground in Rangpur, which is the venue for today's BNP divisional rally, was flooded with BNP supporters and activists this morning (October 29, 2022).

Leaders and activists are arriving in groups holding processions and chanting slogans, reports our local correspondent.

Many arrived last night from Bogura, Joypurhat and other districts besides the ones in Rangpur division. Many of them camped and spent the night at the rally venue.

Hundreds of people on battery-run three-wheelers were seen on the adjacent highways leading to the district.   

Mahbubur Rahman, a leader of Kurigram's Nageswari upazila BNP unit, said they had left on 50 three-wheelers around 9:00 pm last night and arrived at the district this morning.

"We then walked to the venue from Satmatha area in the district," he said adding that due to the strike, they had to make the three-hour bus journey in nine hours.

In the morning, visiting various areas of Rangpur, it was seen that people coming by three-wheelers from Kurigram are Lalmonirhat are getting off in Satmatha intersection and walking on foot towards the rally venue.

On the other hand, people from Pirganj and Gaibandha were seen arriving in three-wheelers in Rangpur Bus Terminal area.

Meanwhile, police presence was beefed up in Rangpur city since morning. There are back up forces ready in the police line area to tackle any untoward situation, police officials said.

At a press conference yesterday (October 28, 2022), BNP vice chairman AZM Zahid Hossain said the transport strike "called by the government" to foil BNP's rally will cause sufferings to the people, but they will travel either on foot or in auto-rickshaws from eight districts of Rangpur division to join the rally. Although the rally was scheduled to begin in the afternoon, he said that it would begin at 11am.