BNP's grand rally started in front of the party's Nayapaltan headquarters around 2:15pm.

The rally was organised to press home their one-point movement -- demanding a non-partisan neutral polls-time government.

The rally started with a recitation from the Holy Quran.

There is a massive gathering of people in the area as BNP leaders and activists started to arrive at the rally venue since morning.

Photo: Amran Hossain/Star

Wearing colourful dresses, the party men have been coming to the rally venue chanting anti-government slogans, carrying posters, festoons, and placards.

Some have taken to the stage and were seen singing to motivate the attendees.

Earlier in the day, thousands of BNP activists were seen gathering in front of the Anti-Corruption Commission office and Matsya Bhaban intersection aiming to join the BNP rally.

A similar situation could be seen in Kakrail intersection, Nightingale intersection, Police Hospital intersection, Dainik Bangla intersection, Fakirapul, and Motijheel areas.

Photo: Md Abbas

Many of the leaders and activists who came to the rally site claimed that several activists have been arrested.

"We were searched when we were coming to the rally site … many faced harassment," Hafis al-Assad, an activist from Tarabo of Narayanganj's Rupganj, told The Daily Star.

Hamid, a BNP activist from Pabna, said, "Five from our group have been arrested in the Amin Bazar area."

Police personnel were seen deployed in the adjacent intersections, along with Ansar members and members of intelligence agencies.