Five-and-a-half-year-old Eftin, a kindergarten student, captured the attention of many at the Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal’s May Day rally in Nayapaltan on Friday.
Dressed as former prime minister and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, the child arrived from Old Dhaka with her mother, wearing a saree styled after the iconic look of the BNP leader.
“I love Khaleda Zia. I want to grow up to be like her and serve the people of this country,” Eftin told reporters.
The rally was organised by the Bangladesh Nationalist Workers Party, an affiliate of the BNP, to mark International Workers’ Day. The programme formally commenced around 2:30pm, with Prime Minister and BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman scheduled to address the massive gathering as the chief guest.
A significant surge of leaders, activists, and workers from Dhaka and neighbouring districts, including Narayanganj, Gazipur, Manikganj, and Narsingdi, thronged the Nayapaltan area. Many participants arrived in processions from early morning, creating a festive atmosphere with red caps, T-shirts, banners, and the beating of drums.
Akram Hossain, who travelled from Mirpur, stated he attended specifically to hear the speech of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
The scale of the gathering necessitated the closure of the road from Fakirerpool to Kakrail, forcing vehicles to seek alternative routes.
However, the organisers ensured that special arrangements remained in place for emergency services, particularly ambulances. To accommodate the large crowd, free medical camps and mobile toilets were also established for party activists and the general public.
