(BSS) - Prime Minister and BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman set aside protocol and formality, walking almost seven kilometres through the capital alongside thousands of supporters today.

He took part in the "Sovereignty" (Sarbabhowmotto) rally, organised by the BNP to mark National Revolution and Solidarity Day, and led it on foot from Naya Paltan to Manik Mia Avenue.

BNP leaders and activists began gathering at Naya Paltan around noon, arriving in processions from different parts of the city.

By the afternoon, the rally stretch from Kakrail intersection to Fakirapool was packed. Participants carried the red-and-green national flag and placards showing Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman, the late former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman.

Many wore caps and T-shirts in various colours, giving the gathering a festive look.

At about 3:00 pm, the Prime Minister gave a brief speech from a temporary stage in front of the BNP central office. Acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi shared the stage with Standing Committee members Mirza Abbas, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Salahuddin Ahmed, Dr AZM Zahid Hossain and Dr Farhad Halim Donor, and Vice Chairman Ahmed Azam Khan.

Tarique Rahman flagged off the rally at 3:30 pm and set out on foot with party leaders and activists.

The procession passed through Kakrail intersection, the road beside the Chief Justice`s residence, Ramna Park Road, the Hotel InterContinental intersection, Banglamotor, Farmgate and Indira Road, and ended at Manik Mia Avenue around 4:30 pm.

The sight of a sitting Prime Minister, who is also the chairman of a major party, covering such a distance on foot with ordinary activists gave the rally a distinct atmosphere.

Thousands lined both sides of the road to catch a glimpse of him, and men, women and children waved from windows and the rooftops of high-rise buildings. Smiling, he waved back, and he kept a normal walking pace for the whole route.

Those who joined him included Standing Committee members Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Salahuddin Ahmed, Dr AZM Zahid Hossain and Aman Ullah Aman, Vice Chairman Nurul Islam Moni, Advisory Council member Zahir Uddin Swapon, Joint Secretaries General Khairul Kabir Khokon and Habib-un-Nabi Khan Sohel, Treasurer M Rashiduzzaman Millat and Publicity Secretary Sultan Salahuddin Tuku.

Thousands of leaders, workers and supporters of the BNP and its associate bodies also took part.

Atiqur Rahman Rumon, Additional Press Secretary to the Prime Minister, told BSS that a Prime Minister walking an entire rally is unprecedented in Bangladesh.

He said he believed the walk would inspire people in the work of rebuilding democracy, and compared it to the long distances Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman covered on foot during the canal-digging programme.

Tarique Rahman returned to Bangladesh on December 25, 2025 after nearly 14 years in London. He has addressed several public meetings and political gatherings since then, but today was his first time taking part in a BNP rally.