Three-term PM of Bangla, widow of deceased dictator Ziaur Rahman, head of the Bangla Nationalist Party, an apparent magnet for corruption ...
to attend the rally of the 20-party alliance at Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital yesterday afternoon.
Even after the meeting had gone one for one and a half hours, an official of the BNP chairperson's press wing told the Dhaka Tribune that she would reach the venue at any moment. The main banner hung behind the stage said she was the chief guest.
Some members of Chairperson's Security Force, assigned to ensure her security, were also on the stage.
Thousands of people, including many who came from other parts of the country, thronged the venue, hoping to see their leader and listen to her deliver a speech at the rally organised to protest against the national broadcast policy formulated by the government.
They gathered there with the hope that Khaleda Zia would announce the next course of action that the party and the alliance would adopt in the coming days.
But finally, the BNP chief did not attend the rally. BNP's Dhaka City Unit Convener Mirza Abbas said she could not come due to an illness and said sorry on behalf of the chairperson. Later, party's Acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir addressed the rally as the chief guest.
Earlier on Monday night, Khaleda's Press Secretary Maruf Kamal Khan told the Dhaka Tribune that the decision to join the programme was yet to be finalised.
Syrul Kabir Khan, an official of chairperson's press wing, at 3.30pm yesterday said she would start towards the venue.
Nevertheless, the party apparently succeeded in ensuring an impressive gathering which it badly needed. Because the party had to prove that it still had strong public support despite the failure of the January 5 election resistance movement.