Khulna has been separated from 21 districts and some upazilas in the southern parts of the country as buses, launches, ferries and trawlers have been kept stopped in the city since Friday morning.
Defying these hindrances, leaders and activists of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) are gathering at the rally venue at Sonali Bank chattar on foot marching and chanting with small processions.
The places around the BNP rally venue have already filled with BNP supporters and activists as they went there before early hours.
There are crowds of people around the venue.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and other party leaders reached Khulna on Friday night to joint today's rally.
As part of its divisional program, BNP will hold the rally in protest against price hike of fuel and daily essentials and the killing of five BNP leaders and activists during the recent movement, and demanding the unconditional release of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.
The rally is scheduled to formally begin at 2pm.
Jisan Ahmed Ahnaf, an activist of Rampal College Chhatra Dal, said, "500 leaders and activists from the college have reached the Zero Point riding on four pick-up vans and then they reached the venue on foot getting no vehicles."
Besides, the movements of small boats at Rupsha Ghat and Jailkhana Ghat remained suspended from night, causing immense sufferings to people waiting on both sides of the ghat to cross the river.