A visible enthusiasm has been prevailing among the leaders and activists of the Awami League and its associated organisations as the party President Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to address a rally on Polo Ground in Chattogram tomorrow.
A 3,520sqft boat-shaped stage has been prepared for the rally. The artists were doing their last-minute work yesterday before they hand the stage over to the security forces.
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The Chattogram City Corporation has been conducting beautification works. Footpaths across the city were being cleaned and painted, flyovers being decorated with colourful lights, and battered roads being repaired.
Posters and banners have been put up in different areas, including Jamal Khan, Kazir Dewri, Lalkhan Bazar, Tiger Pass, Dewan Hat, Kadamtali, New Market and Anderkilla, to welcome Hasina.
Alongside the banners and posters, loudspeakers were also being used for publicity. The party leaders intend to gather over a million people from 15 upazilas on the occasion.
Multiple units of the AL and its associated organisations brought out processions to encourage mass people for joining the rally.
According to the party sources, the public representatives in Chattogram were given instructions in this connection.
The party high-ups also gave them targets to bring people from their respective areas, they said, adding that the target was set between 10,000 and 20,000 from each upazila considering the distance from the rally venue.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina would address a public rally as chief guest in the port city after 10 years.
"The last time our prime minister addressed a rally in Chattogram was in 2012. This time, we want the rally to be memorable in history," said Mafizur Rahman, general secretary of Chattogram (south) district unit AL.
"We are putting in all our organisational efforts to gather 10 lakh people in the rally," he added.
The prime minister will announce a package of development projects for the city dwellers from the rally, said Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, vice-president of Chattogram city unit AL.
"This is one of the reasons why the party men and mass people are enthusiastic over the rally," he added.
Both the units, north and south, in Chattogram have jointly been working to make the rally a success, said AJM Nasir Uddin, general secretary of Chattogram city unit AL.
People will join the rally spontaneously, he expected.
