The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-led 18-Party Alliance will observe another spell of a non-stop 60-hour nationwide hartal from Monday, demanding that a free, fair and credible general election be held under the oversight of a non-party caretaker government (CG). The hartal, to be enforced in support of the opposition’s demand for the restoration of the CG provision, will begin at 6am on Monday and end at 6pm on Wednesday.
BNP acting secretary-general, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, made the announcement at a press conference at party chief Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan office in the capital, on Saturday.
Media vehicles, ambulances, fire brigade and transport carrying Hajj pilgrims will remain out of the purview of the shutdown, he added.
A 60-hour nationwide strike was also observed earlier on October 27, 28 and 29.
Responding to a query on whether the JSC and JDC examinations, scheduled for November 4 and 6, will remain out of the purview of the hartal, he said, “We have made it clear as to what will remain outside the programme.” He, however, added, “We will inform the people through the media, if there is any update in this regard.”
Fakhrul said his party wants to enforce the lockdown in a peaceful manner, and warned that the government would be held responsible if it tries to foil the hartal.
The opposition’s non-party CG restoration demand has already turned into a mass demand, he said. Several study reports show that at least 90 per cent of the people want the next general polls to be held under a non-party CG oversight, he added.
The opposition leader said the ruling Awami League is planning to hold a unilateral general election, ignoring world opinion.
“We have already been forced to call hartal as the government didn’t pay any heed to our democratic demand for holding the polls under a non-party CG system,” he added.
Regarding the progress of dialogue, he said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina does not want to reach consensus with Leader of the Opposition, Khaleda Zia, over the CG issue. She has merely staged a drama on the pretext of holding a dialogue, Fakhrul alleged.
“Khaleda Zia urged the prime minister to fix a date after the 60-hour hartal ended last Wednesday. But the premier did not do so meaning that the government is not sincere in holding the parley,” he claimed.
The BNP leader also blamed the government for the death of at least 20 people and injuring several hundred 18-party activists during the last 60-hour hartal. Hundreds of opposition party men were also arrested during the hartal, he added.
Earlier, a secretary-general-level meeting of the 18-Party Alliance was held at Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan office at about 11am, with Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir in the chair. Senior leaders of the alliance attended the meeting.
-With The Independent input
