Dispelling all speculations and braving numerous obstacles, the main opposition BNP did manage to complete its divisional rally programme with a massive and once again peaceful gathering in the capital, although not before reams of more unnecessary drama had to be endured by the public. Mostly a result of the government's seeming angst.

Eventually though, BNP was able to unveil a 10-point charter of demands aimed at unseating the government through a 'simultaneous movement'.

In the absence of the party's detained secretary general, picked up from his residence in the early hours of Friday, December 9, BNP standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain placed the demands at the rally eventually held at the Golapbagh field, and declared a 'simultaneous anti-government movement' on December 24.

The 'simultaneous' is meant to be a rallying cry for a joint movement with like-minded opposition political parties. Mosharraf in his speech called upon the like-minded opposition political parties to declare solidarity with the 10-point demands and launch such a movement on December 24.

"These points are for the restoration of democracy. These are the points of the country's people, not only of the BNP. We announce a mass-procession programme in all cities, including Dhaka and district towns on December 24 - this would be the first programme to realise our 10-point demand," he said.

Besides, he said BNP will organise another mass procession programme on December 13 in all cities and district towns to denounce the killing of a Swechchasebak Dal activist in police firing on December 7, police raid on the party's central office, arrests of the party's top leaders and attacks on its leaders and activists.

Mosharraf said their party standing committee formulated the 10-point demand to free the country from the misrule of the current government.

The BNP leader said they also talked to the parties who are keen to join the movement with BNP and they gave their consent to the points. "These points are for the restoration of democracy," he said.

Topping the 10-point demands include the resignation of the government and the dissolution of parliament; the formation of a neutral and interim caretaker government in line with sections Kha, Ga and Gha of Article 58 of the constitution that were included in 1996; the formation of a fresh neutral and acceptable election commission by the caretaker government which will create a level-playing field for all parties and annul the use of EVMs and party symbols in local government elections.

Interspersed among them are calls for the cancellation of convictions of all the opposition leaders and activists, including Khaleda Zia, journalists, human rights activists and religious scholars; the release of all political prisoners and withdrawal of all false cases, ensuring no obstruction to holding meetings, rallies, greater freedom of expression; no more arresting any BNP leaders and activists and no more filing of any resh cases against them.

Besides, intertwined among the 10 points are demands for all the black laws, including the Digital Security Act 2018, Anti-Terrorism Act 2009 and the Special Powers Act 1974 will have to be revoked, anti-people government decisions, including price hikes of electricity, fuel, fertiliser and water must be scrapped, market should be made free from syndicate to keep the prices of daily essentials items within the buying capacity of people, justified wage for working people in the light of inflation must be determined, child labour should be stopped and fair prices of agricultural produce will have to be ensured, with a commission to be formed to identify the corruption in banking and energy sectors and share market and siphoning of money abroad over the last 15 years.

The other demands are rescuing all the victims of enforced disappearances in last 15 years, ensuring lawful trial of all the incidents of extrajudicial killing and repression by the state and ensuring the punishment of the offenders, ensuring the punishment of those involved in grabbing property of the minority communities and damaging their houses and worship places and taking steps so that the law enforcement agencies, judiciary and administration can work independently maintaining discipline and professionalism without any interference of the government.

The BNP leader thanked the party's MPs who earlier announced they were resigning from parliament. Before joining the rally, all seven of the party's MPs resigned from Parliament by sending their resignation letters through email.

He alleged that the government had destroyed all institutions, including the judiciary, police and other forces, only to cling to power without the people's mandate. "People of the entire country no longer want to see this regime in power."

He urged the prime minister to quit in order to restore peace and democracy in the country.

He said Bangladesh's economy is now on the verge of collapse due to widespread plundering and corruption by the ruling party leaders.

Mosharraf said people sent out a message from the rally that they do not want to get deceived by this regime anymore by allowing it to hang onto power by resorting to vote robbery. He said this government fears BNP and those who talk about democracy as it is a fascist regime. "That's why they don't want to allow us to hold democratic programmes."

The BNP leader criticised the 'barbaric' attack on their party leaders and workers, raid on their central office and arrest of party leaders and activists. "The government made all-out efforts to foil our rally. But people foiled all their plots."

He thanked the party leaders and activists for making the rally a huge success with their massive participation in it by defying all obstacles, plots, repressive acts and intimidation.

Thousands of thousands of people from the capital and different parts of the country joined the rally and the crowd spilled over onto several square kilometres around the rally venue.

What their leaders said

Former national parliament speaker and BNP standing committee member Jamiruddin Sircar said the caretaker government system must be restored to restore the election system and people's voting rights and democracy.

BNP standing committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy said their party was not given permission to hold the rally at Nayapaltan on the pretext of public suffering. "But they kept the road shut for five days, causing the public suffering as they hardly care about people and their problems."

Referring to Prime Minister's recent remark that people do not trust the thieves of votes, he said, "There's only one vote thief in Bangladesh which is Awami League and its leader is Sheikh Hasina."

Another BNP standing committee member Dr Abul Moyeen Khan said the presence of tens of thousands of people in this rally has once again proved it is not possible to suppress the masses by resorting to brutal repressive acts.

He said the entire world now knows Awami League holds the day's voting at night. "We want to get rid of it. We will surely restore the voting rights and the people's ownership of the country through a strong movement."

BNP standing committee member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury said the government enforced a hartal in the capital while the ruling party cadres are picketing with arms to stop the mass wave of people towards the rally, but they miserably failed.

He said the country's people gave a verdict for the restoration of the caretaker government for holding the next polls under it. "We'll execute this verdict at any cost, even by sacrificing blood and lives."

Another BNP standing committee member Selima Rahman said the government tried to spread panic among the people by resorting to repressive acts, killing party activists, raiding party office and arresting many leaders and activists, including party Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, but they failed to do so.

"People participated in this rally without any fear. They're not afraid of any repressive act. People have awakened and they will ensure the fall of this regime through a movement," she said.

BNP standing committee member Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku said lakhs of people joined the rally as they want to get rid of the fascist misrule of the current regime.

He alleged that the government has been trying to hang onto power by suppressing the opposition using law enforcers as it lost the ground beneath its feet.

BNP Dhaka north city unit convener Amanullah Aman who presided over the rally urged the party leaders and workers to return to their respective homes and destinations peacefully after the end of the programme.

A huge number of law enforcers were deployed around the rally venue while police set up check posts at all entry points of Dhaka. BNP leaders and activists alleged that they faced difficulties at the police check posts while coming to the rally venue.

Alongside law enforcement agencies, activists of Awami League, Jubo League and Chhatra League were also seen taking positions on city streets to prevent what they said to prevent any sabotage activities by BNP men. Supporters were seen heading towards the rally venue on foot as public transport remained off the streets from the morning.

BNP on September 27 announced a series of public rallies in 10 divisional cities to denounce the price hike of daily essentials and fuels, the death of five party men in previous police action in Bhola, Narayanganj, Munshiganj and Jashore, and to ensure the freedom of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.

The party earlier arranged rallies in Chattogram, Mymensingh, Khulna, Rangpur, Barishal, Faridpur, Sylhet, Cumilla and Rajshahi braving various obstacles and transport strikes.

Aftermath: AL happy to go it alone?

The main point of interest in the aftermath was always going to be the response to the BNP's call to arms, for all like-minded political parties to come one board the 10-points of their demand. Intriguingly, it was their old alliance partner Jamaat e Islami who responded most promptly - releasing their own, slightly different version of the 10 points and pledging to join the BNP on Dec. 24.

Dr Shafiqur Rahman, ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami, which may be touted as the country's largest Islamist party but lack its registration as a political party (revoked by the courts), made the announcement the same night of December 10, to build a nationwide simultaneous mass movement based on the 10-point demand to restore democracy in the country and bring back the people's rights

But this promptly ended up getting the current Jamaat chief arrested on charges relating to the abetting and nurturing militancy/terrorism. Plainclothes policemen picked up Shafiqur from his Bashundhara residence in the capital around 4am on December 13. Shafiqur's son Rafat Chowdhury was arrested from Sylhet in the same case on November 9. Police now say Rafat is the Sylhet regional coordinator of Al-Qaeda-inspired militant outfit Ansar Al Islam and has been persuading young people to leave their homes for so-called jihad.

On the other hand, the Appellate Division barred GM Quader from performing his duties as the Jatiya Party (JaPa) chairman, until a case challenging his appointment's legality is disposed in the trial court. A six-judge bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique passed the order after hearing an appeal challenging the High Court order that allowed GM Quader to perform his duties as the JaPa chairman.

JaPa Co-Chairman Kazi Firoz Rashid, a member of parliament, told English daily The Business Standard, "We will run the party respecting the order given by the Appellate Division. The court ordered that GM Quader cannot serve as the chairman. It did not issue any order to remove him from the post."

Firoz also said that even if he cannot perform his duties as chairman, the party will run according to his instructions. He anticipated no problems in managing the party. According to JaPa insiders, initiatives will be taken for speedy disposal of the ongoing case in the judicial court. And until the case is settled, the party will be run under Quader's direct and indirect guidance.

Additional reporting by A.R. Jahangir