Politics

3 BNP wings begin long march towards Agartala

The three affiliated organizations of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) – Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, Jatiyatabadi Juba Dal, and Jatiyatabadi Swechchhasebak Dal – have begun a long march towards Agartala, India, protesting the attack on Bangladesh's Assistant High Commission in Agartala, the desecration of the national flag, and alleged conspiracies to incite communal riots.

The long march began at 9:00 am on Wednesday (December 11) from the BNP's central office in Naya Paltan, Dhaka. Before the march began, a brief rally was held, where BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi delivered a speech as the chief guest.

Along the route of the long march, a roadside meeting will be held at Bhairab intersection in Kishoreganj, presided over by Juba Dal President Monayem Munna, with Swechchasebak Dal President SM Zilani attending as the chief guest.

The long march will conclude with a rally in Akhaura, where Juba Dal President Monayem Munna will attend as the chief guest, while Swechchasebak Dal President SM Zilani will preside over the event.

Earlier, on December 8, in response to the same incident, the three BNP-affiliated organizations organized a march towards the Indian High Commission in Dhaka. The march, which began at Naya Paltan and proceeded towards Rampura, was stopped by law enforcement agencies. Later, a delegation submitted a memorandum to the Indian High Commission.

On December 2, a group of protesters from the Hindu Sangharsha Samity attacked the Assistant High Commission of Bangladesh in Agartala, Tripura. They vandalized the flagpole, desecrated the national flag, and damaged property within the mission while protesting the arrest of ISKCON leader Chinmoy Krishna Das and demanding his immediate release.

In response to the incident, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir issued a statement, saying, "We believe the attack on the Assistant High Commission premises was premeditated. Entering the commission premises, taking down the national flag, setting it on fire, and vandalizing property constitute a clear violation of the Vienna Convention."