Police  upset BNP’s  protest rally

Dhaka 13 February 2021:

Police have broken up a rally organised by the BNP in protest against the government’s decision to strip its founder Ziaur Rahman’s of his gallantry title of ‘Bir Uttam’, according bdnews24.

The party began the rally in front of the National Press Club around 10 am on Saturday.

However, the programme was marred by clashes after police charged baton to disperse the protesters near the Kadam Fountain towards the end of the meeting. The protesters retaliated by hurling brickbats at law enforcers.

The commotion started just after the party’s standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain began his speech around 12pm.

Several thousand BNP leaders and supporters from across the country joined the protests sparked by the move to revoke the gallantry title conferred upon the late military ruler and wartime sector commander Zia, after previously removing his Swadhinata Padak or Independence Award.

The government cited Zia’s defiance of the constitution, assisting the self-proclaimed killers of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in fleeing the country and posting them on important state positions, as some of the reasons for the move.

‘Bir Uttam’ is the second-highest award for individual gallantry in Bangladesh after ‘Bir Sreshtha’.