The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Friday announced fresh programmes, including sit-in and mass campaigns, from the metropolitan city to union levels to press home their 10-point demand, including holding the next general election under a non-party caretaker government.

The programme is also meant for registering the party’s protest against the rise in the prices of power, gas and essential commodities and the Awami League government’s all-pervasive corruption.

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced the programme at an iftar party at the Ladies Club in Dhaka.

As part of the programme, the party will stage a sit-in from 2:00pm to 4:00pm on April 1 in all metropolitan cities and district towns.

Besides, a similar programme will be observed from 3:00pm to 5:00pm on April 8 at all thanas in metropolitan cities and at all upazilas in the districts.

The party will also stage sit-in or form human chain programmes and distribute leaflets from 4:00pm to 6:00pm at the union level from April 9 to April 13.

As per the schedule, the programme will be observed in Rangpur and Chattatogram divisions on April 9 while in Rajshahi and Sylhet on April 10, in Khulna and Cumilla on April 11, in Dhaka and Barishal on April 12 and in Mymensingh and Faridpur on April 13.

Besides, Fakhrul said that their party leaders would hold views-exchange meetings, provide assistance to the poor and destitute and conduct mass campaigns in all cities, districts, upazilas, Thanas, unions and wards across the country.

He said their party was not supposed to declare political programs during Ramadan but had no choice, ‘We have been forced to announce the programmes during this Ramadan due to the current situation of the country.’

The BNP leader said that they would continue their movement for the restoration of democracy and people’s voting and other rights.

‘We hope the country’s people will participate in these programmes and they will wage a fierce movement to establish their rights to vote and their right to speak,’ he said.

Fakhrul called upon people from all walks of life and all parties to get united to establish a pro-people government and parliament through a credible election under a non-party caretaker administration by ousting the current fascist regime.