Police finally gave permission to the newly formed Jatiya Oikyafront to hold a rally in Sylhet on Wednesday.

“We hope people of all walks of life will join the rally,” said Dr Kamal Hossain, president of a component of the alliance Gonoforum.

Police gave the permission yesterday over the phone for the rally in Bandarbazar area of the city, said Ali Ahmed, general secretary of Sylhet district unit of the BNP.

Mohammad Abdul Wahab, additional deputy commissioner of Sylhet Metropolitan Police, said a letter of permission would be issued soon.

Ali said party activists started taking preparations for the rally.

Before holding the rally, Oikyafront leaders will visit the shrines of Hazrat Shahjalal (R), Shah Paran (R) and the grave of General MAG Osmani, he added.

Meanwhile, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader at a programme in the capital yesterday said police had given permission to Oikyafront, but its leaders were being unnecessarily dramatic.

He also said the prime minister instructed that everyone be allowed to hold rallies.

Police denied permission to Oikyafront to hold a rally on October 23 in Sylhet. The alliance then sought permission to hold a rally on October 24 and got rejected. Police suddenly gave the permission yesterday.

The Jatiya Oikyafront is an alliance of the BNP, Dr Kamal Hossain-led Jatiya Oikya Prokriya, ASM Abdur Rab's Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, and Mahmudur Rahman Manna's Nagorik Oikya.

The Oikyafront was formed on October 13 with the demands of a national election under a neutral government after dissolution of parliament and release of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia from jail.

The alliance will invite four components of the 20-party alliance -- Liberal Democratic Party, Bangladesh Kalyan Party, Bangladesh Jatiya Party, and Jatiya Party (Kazi Zafar-led faction) -- to join the rally.

After a meeting yesterday, ASM Abdur Rab said Dr Kamal would be the chief guest of the rally presided over by Sylhet City Corporation Mayor Ariful Haque.

He hoped that they would get the permit for holding a rally on October 27 in Chattogram too.

Rab urged the Election Commission to discuss with the alliance before declaring the polls schedule.