A Correspondent:
Chattogram: BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman was greeted and welcomed yesterday by thousands of cheerful people with standing ovation, ear popping sounds of slogans and claps at historic Railway Polo Ground when he waved to the gathering immediate after his appearance at the giant stage.
Following weeklong hectic preparations to greet the top leader and grand rally as part of election cam-paign for Ctg region, leaders, workers, supporters of BNP and its affiliated organizations along with general masses had gathered at the big bowl of Polo Ground turning the huge area into a human sea much before formal beginning of rally at around 11.45 am on Sunday.
On this occasion, most part of the port city of Chattogram wore a festive look as banners, festoons and red-green national and party flags inscribed with various slogans, artworks and photographs were hanged while processions and publicity in the city as well as 16 constituencies of the district were continued to make success yesterday’s program.
Entire city have been vibrant and bustling as uncountable number of processions of BNP men with col-orful banners, photographs of Tarique Rahman, Sheaf of Paddy as well as t-shirts pasted with candidates of different constituencies marched forwarded towards the meeting venue.
Besides BNP workers and supporters, a significant number of general people attended the rally to see for himself Tarique Rahman who scheduled to attend yesterday’s meeting in the port city after 21 years and returning from long exile from abroad after nearly two decades.
At one stage, the city’s vehicular movement came into a halt for hours due to rush of processions one after another from different upazilas of the district through five entry points beside those ones from 41 wards under Chattogram City Corporation.
As clock ticked to eleven in the morning with onrush of people towards the Pologround had turned the city into a city of procession and looked like all roads led to Pologround.
The big Pologround and surrounding areas with spacious roads turned into a human sea before arrival of Tarique Rahman at around 11.45 a.m.
Thousands of people were seen standing in front of loud speakers hanged encompassing three kilometers area of the venue to hear the speech of the leader as they attempted to fail to enter the ground.
BNP leaders particularly the BNP nominated candidates were seen spirited and enthusiastic mood after the meeting following the huge attendance of general people.
A number of BNP candidates and leaders were of the view that yesterday’s meeting especially the com-posed and appealing address of Tarique Rahman will have a positive impact on voters and rejuvenate party workers at field level.
Tarique Rahman in his address has focused on solving many local issues, gave commitment on some im-portant problems in and around the port city besides national issues that also boosted up local leaders and workers ahead of upcoming election.
He also got emotional as well as audiences when he told with touchy voices regarding long family bond with Chattogram referring to his father Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman’s proclamation of Independ-ence in 1971, his martyrdom in 1981 and naming his mother Begum Khaleda Zia as Deshanettri from a rally at historic Ladighi Maidan in late 1990s.
