The BNP and 32 other like-minded political parties will take to the streets for the first time today as part of their simultaneous movement.

The procession will be held to press home its 10-point demand that includes the resignation of the government, dissolution of parliament, transfer of power to a non-partisan caretaker government before the next national election, and formation of a new Election Commission.

BNP, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), the seven parties that form Ganatantra Mancha, 12-party alliance, and the 11-party Jatiyatabadi Samamona Jote will hold their programmes separately at different points in the capital.

The parties want to stage a show of might in the city while BNP leaders will throng to the party office with small processions, said insiders of the parties.

They also said all the parties are likely to stage a sit-in protest on January 11 at their divisional headquarters, demanding that their 10-point demand be met. They are likely to announce this today.

BNP standing committee members sat in a meeting yesterday afternoon to work out the next course of action.

A party standing committee member, wishing anonymity, said they may announce a sit-in programme as the next step of the simultaneous movement.

Later in the day, the BNP held a meeting with like-minded political parties to finalise the sit-in programme.

BNP sources said they have already sent a message to party men to bring out processions peacefully and systematically.

At a press briefing at the party's Nayapaltan central office yesterday, BNP Vice-Chairman Prof AZM Zahid Hossain said their mass procession would be held peacefully.

"Our party leaders and activists will gather in front of the Nayapaltan office and bring out the procession at 2:00pm," he said.

Zahid said their procession will end at Nayapaltan after parading different roads through Bijoynagar, Kakrail, Shantinagar, Malibagh and Moghbazar intersections.

In separate releases, Ganatantra Mancha said they would start the procession from the Jatiya Press Club at 11:00am, the 12-party alliance from Fakirapool Water Tank area at 2:30pm, Jatiyatabadi Samamona Jote from Purana Paltan intersection at 2:30pm, LDP from FDC intersection from 2:30pm and Jamaat from Baitul Mukarram Mosque's North Gate.

Jamaat said a delegation of the party went to Dhaka Metropolitan Police seeking permission for the procession.

The BNP was supposed to hold a mass procession programme in all divisional cities and district towns on December 24.

However, due to the national council  of the ruling Awami League on the same day, the BNP rescheduled the programme for December 30.