FROM AMIR COMPLEX, UTTARA (DHAKA): Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has started their scheduled long march at 8:55am Tuesday from capital’s Uttara demanding due share of water from India.   

The long march caravan set off for Rangpur after party’s acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Almagir inaugurated the long march in a short street rally.

Party central leaders including Standing Committee member Nazrul Islam Khan, vice chairman Abdullah Al Noman, International Affairs secretary Asaduzzaman Ripon, Education Affairs secretary Khairul Kabir Khokon and  Students Affairs secretary were present among thousands there.

Earlier, BNP Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi at a press conference at party’s Nayapaltan office on Monday announced that the long march would start from the Shahjalal International Airport intersection at 8:00am of the day that was deferred.

The party planned to begin the long march from the airport instead of Nayapaltan to avoid traffic congestion.

On the way to Rangpur, the party will hold the first street rally at Kaliakoir in Gazipur at 9:00am followed by rallies in Tangail at 11:30am, in Sirajgonj at 12:30pm in Bogra at 2:30pm, and in Gobindaganj and Polashbari of Gaibandha at 3:30pm and 4:00pm respectively.

After an overnight stay in Rangpur, the party will hold a public rally in the town at 9:00am on Wednesday and then they will resume long march towards the barrage in Nilphamari.

The programme will end with another public rally at Dalia at 11:00am on Wednesday.

BNP announced a two-day long march of April 22 and 23 to the Teesta River demanding due share of the river’s water between Bangladesh and India.

BDST: 0930 HRS APR 22, 2014