Chattogram: BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman was greeted and welcomed today by hundreds of thousands of cheerful people with standing ovations, ear-popping sounds of slogans, and claps at the historic Railway Polo Ground when he waved to the gathering immediately after his appearance on the giant stage. Following week-long hectic preparations to greet the top leader and the grand rally as part of the election campaign for the Chattogram region, leaders, workers, and supporters of BNP and its affiliated organizations, along with the general masses, had gathered at the big bowl of Polo Ground, turning the huge area into a human sea much before the formal beginning of the rally at around 11:45 a.m.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, on this occasion, most parts 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 hung, while processions and publicity in the city as well as 16 constituencies of the district continued to ensure the success of today's program. The entire city was vibrant and bustling as countless processions of BNP men, with colorful banners, photographs of Tarique Rahman, Sheaf of Paddy, and t-shirts pasted with candidates of different constituencies, marched towards the meeting venue.
Besides BNP workers and supporters, a significant number of general people attended the rally to see Tarique Rahman, who was scheduled to attend today's meeting in the port city after 21 years, returning from long exile abroad after nearly two decades. At one stage, the city's vehicular movement came to a halt for hours due to the rush of processions from different upazilas of the district through five entry points, besides those from 41 wards under Chattogram City Corporation.
As the clock ticked to eleven in the morning, the onrush of people towards the Pologround turned the city into a city of processions, and it looked like all roads led to Pologround. The big Pologround and surrounding areas with spacious roads turned into a human sea before the arrival of Tarique Rahman at around 11:45 a.m. Thousands of people were seen standing in front of loudspeakers hanging across a three-kilometer area of the venue to hear the speech of the leader as they attempted but failed to enter the ground.
BNP leaders, particularly the BNP-nominated candidates, were seen in a spirited and enthusiastic mood after the meeting following the huge attendance of the general people. A number of BNP candidates and leaders were of the view that today's meeting, especially the composed and appealing address of Tarique Rahman, will have a positive impact on voters and rejuvenate party workers at the field level.
Tarique Rahman, in his address, focused on solving many local issues and gave commitments on some important problems in and around the port city, besides national issues, which also boosted local leaders and workers ahead of the upcoming election. He also got emotional, as did the audience, when he spoke with a touchy voice regarding the long family bond with Chattogram, referring to his father Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman's proclamation of Independence in 1971, his martyrdom in 1981, and naming his mother, Begum Khaleda Zia, as Deshanettri from a rally at the historic Ladighi Maidan in the late 1990s.