At makeshift stages in Narayanganj, Narsingdi, and Cumilla, crowds lingered under dim lights and open skies just to get a glimpse of their leader. Men closed their shops, women brought their children, and activists shared food in the cold. When the BNP Chairman, Tarique Rahman, finally appeared -- often past midnight -- the long wait turned jubilant.
At Kanchpur’s Balurmath in Narayanganj, a temporary stage was set up beside the Dhaka-Chattogram highway. Supporters waited through the night, chanting slogans and waving placards until Tarique arrived around 2:00am after back-to-back rallies in Chattogram, Feni, and Cumilla.
Apologising for the delay, he introduced party candidates for Narayanganj’s five parliamentary seats and highlighted BNP’s 31-point programme.
“Narcotics are sold at at least 20 spots in Narayanganj,” Tarique said, vowing to curb corruption and restore order.
Kabir Hossain, a BNP activist from Ward 4 in Naraynaganj's Siddhirganj, said, “We waited all night just to listen to the speech of our leader. His calm and humane words won our hearts. He even knows the exact number of drug hotspots in Narayanganj. That shows he is not only focussed on the centre. He also keeps track of our local realities.”
In Narsingdi, the Municipal Children’s Park turned festive as thousands gathered from evening until Tarique’s arrival at 2:30am.
To keep morale high, district leaders delivered speeches while activists shared food in open spaces. Women and children joined in significant numbers, adding to the atmosphere of solidarity.
Severe traffic congestion on the Dhaka-Sylhet Highway reflected the scale of turnout, estimated at 5,000-6,000.
Hatem Tai, a local resident, said, “Although he was scheduled to arrive at 7:00pm, he reached at 2:30am. Still, our enthusiasm never faltered.”
Sharif Ahmed, former general secretary of Narsingdi Government College Students’ Union, remarked, “Attendance was high in the evening, which eventually diminished. But, once his speech began, crowds poured in again from all sides, reigniting excitement among party leaders and activists.”
In Cumilla, Tarique addressed rallies in Chauddagram, Suagazi, and Daudkandi. Scheduled for the evening, his speeches began late at night due to earlier engagements in Chattogram and Feni. At Suagazi’s Fultuli field, he spoke between 10:46pm and 11:10pm, before heading towards Daudkandi past midnight.
Despite the cold, supporters -- including women and children -- waited in open fields. Many came from distant upazilas across Cumilla and Chandpur in hundreds of thousands.
Supporters faced challenges such as shortage of food and toilets, but praised the security arrangements.
Poli, who came from Shaktala, said the open venue made the cold even more chilly. However, there were chairs placed behind the bamboo barricade near the stage, so she managed to sit in a relatively comfortable spot.
Anis from Pipulia brought his 11-year-old son Naim to see the BNP chief. “We came all this way; we won’t leave without seeing him,” he said.
Our Narayanganj, Narsingdi, and Cumilla correspondents contributed to this report.
