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Festive look at Paltan

STAFF CORRESPONDENT
BNP's grand rally at the Paltan Maidan yesterday afternoon assumed a festive look as thousands of people attended the rally with colourful banners, festoons, big placards, portraits of leaders and the party's election symbol sheaf of paddy.
The BNP leaders addressed the mammoth gathering from a large stage decorated with colourful banners and portraits of the party founder late president Ziaur Rahman and Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.
People started coming towards the ground from the morning with processions chanting slogans in favour of the party and the government and against the main opposition Awami League.
Party men wore red and green colour caps on their heads symbolising the national flag while many enthusiastic supporters sang and danced with band music.
Many party adherents carried BNP's election symbol sheaf of paddy, turning the rally into a big showdown for the next general elections.
Many BNP leaders came with big processions while their supporters wearing caps with slogans in favour of them rounded the venue.
People from various parts of the
Festive look
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city as well as from remote districts came to join the rally by buses, minibuses, trains and launches and other vehicles.
The law enforcers stopped plying of motorised vehicles at around two kilometres from the venue and erected barbwire barricades at the entry points and checked people who were heading towards the ground.
As the buses were stopped at Shahbag in the west, Sayedabad in the east and Shantinagar in the north and the Judge Court area in the south, people had to walk a long way to reach the rally venue.
"I came from Comilla and arrived at Sayedabad bus terminal in the noon. I had to walk all the way to Paltan ground as no buses or minibuses plied," said Abul Qashem.
Many people, however, started going back much before the speech of Prime Minister Khaleda Zia that ended at 5:15pm. A large number of people were seen leaving the venue even during the PM's speech.
Security forces installed closed circuit cameras on several points and groups of Rapid Action Battalion patrolled the surrounding areas on motorcycles. A large number of police were deployed on the ground, at the entry points, and on top of buildings around.
Through the microphones at the rally venue, songs and speeches were publicised from the morning that disturbed work at the nearby secretariat. The ministers came out of the secretariat in the noon and walked to the Paltan ground.
The entire city faced tremendous traffic jam yesterday as the vehicles were diverted from near the venue from the morning.