Ruling Awami League and opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) have received conditional permission from the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) to hold their rallies in the capital on Saturday.

Confirming the matter on Friday night, DMP Additional Commissioner (Crime and Operations) Kha Mohid Uddin told the Daily Sun that Awami League will hold its rally in the south plaza of the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, while BNP in front of its central office at Nayapaltan.

The DMP did not give permission to Jamaat-e-Islami for their rally at Shapla Chattar, he added.

Meanwhile, tension gripped the political arena as the two major political parties announced to hold rallies on the same day within a few kilometres of distance.

Since Friday afternoon, a number of leaders and activists of BNP and its associate bodies have started gathering in front of the party's central office ahead of their planned rally.

They began gathering there shortly after the Jumma prayers to avoid possible harassment on their way to the party’s central office.

Over the heated political situation, members of law enforcement agencies have set up checkpoints at all the entrances of the capital. They are searching vehicles and people coming from outside Dhaka.

Eyewitnesses said the police were conducting extensive searches at the Dhaka-bound vehicles in Gabtoli and Abdullahpur areas.