The procession, participated by freedom fighters and BNP and Jatiya Oikya Front leaders and activists, began from BNP central office at Naya Paltan at about 11:45am.

Thousands of leaders and activists of the alliance thronged BNP’s Nayapaltan central office and its adjacent areas in small processions since morning carrying national flags, BNP’s electoral symbol ‘sheaf of paddy’, posters and banners of BNP’s founder Ziaur Rahman, its jailed chairperson Khaleda Zia.

With the freedom fighters in the forefront, followed by women activists and BNP and JOF leaders, including BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Mahmudur Rahman Manna, Subrata Chowdhury, Abdus Salam and Afroja Abbas, the participants marched the streets with the tune of drums and flute.

The rally turned into an election campaign as the supporters of different Oikya Front candidates took part in it carrying their posters and their election symbol ‘Sheaf of Paddy’.

They also shouted slogans in favour of their respective candidates.

They hold BNP’s electoral symbol ‘sheaf of paddy’, national flags, posters and banners of BNP's founder Ziaur Rahman, its jailed chairperson Khaleda Zia.

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir inaugurated the procession in front of the party’s central office.

It moved towards Shantinagr from Nayapaltan amid tight security.

Alert police in riot gear were present around the BNP office and procession route from the morning.

After parading different roads through Bijoynagar, Kakrail and Shantinagar, the rally concluded peacefully at Nayapaltan around 12:15pm.

Ganoforum executive president Subrata Chowdhury, Nagorik Oikya convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna, BNP vice chairman AZM Zahid and Chairperson’s adviser Abdus Salam, among others, spoke at the rally.

Before the procession, Mirza Fakhrul in a short speech said this Victory Day was being celebrated before the general election with grave concern that if the people would enjoy the benefit of freedom of the country after the election.

He said unprecedented repression was being carried out by the government on BNP candidates and their supporters.

‘The country’s people are worried about the future of democracy as the government is ‘shamelessly repressing’ the opposition candidates and their supporters across the country,’ he said.

‘The upcoming national election is very important for people as it will determine whether democracy will remain or not, people will enjoy freedom or not,’ he said.

‘We never witnessed such a national election. The government is unprecedentedly arresting the opposition candidates and its leaders and activists and implicating them in false cases. They’re also trying to keep our candidates away from the election race,’ he alleged.

Referring to Saturday’s attack on BNP’s Dhaka-8 seat candidate Mirza Abbas, he said the EC is silent even after such an incident.

Besides, he said, their candidate for Noakhali-1 Mahbubuddin Khokon was shot and injured during an election campaign while most other candidates cannot carry out electioneering due to obstruction and attacks by their opponents.

Subrata Chowdhury said the ruling party has continued its repressive acts to retain power by snatching people’s voting right.

He said the government has long been forcing the opposition candidates to quit the election race by creating a suffocating situation using law enforcers.

‘This Victory Day brought calls that the December 30 election has to be won and the autocratic regime have to be toppled down,’ he said.

Manna said the government got crazy as the Jatiya Oikya Front joined the elections.

‘We will celebrate another victory winning the December 30 election,’ he said.