The BNP yesterday called a countrywide demonstration programme for today to protest the party being denied three times to hold its rally in the capital to mark the "National Revolution and Solidarity Day". 

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir declared the programme at a press briefing at the party's Nayapaltan central office.

The decision came after the Dhaka Metropolitan Police did not permit the party to hold the rally at Suhrawardy Udyan yesterday.

Leaders and activists of Dhaka city unit BNP would hold demonstrations and rallies at every thana in the city, while those programmes would be observed at every district town and divisional headquarters, said Fakhrul.

Fakhrul said holding a rally is a BNP's constitutional right, but the government has violated the constitution by depriving the party of exercising the right.

"We strongly denounce and condemn the government's attitude," he said.

On November 3, the DMP announced that no political party would be allowed to hold any rally at Suhrawardy Udyan on November 7 or 8 over "security reasons".

Later, the BNP applied for Nayapaltan to hold the rally on November 8. But hours before the rally, the DMP gave permission to the party to hold a "discussion" at Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB), instead of Nayapaltan. The party rejected the DMP's decision and again sought permission to hold the rally at Suhrawardy Udyan on November 13.  

On November 8, the party said they will keep rescheduling their rally and seeking permission until they get the go-ahead for the programme.