The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its allies begin a general strike for 48 hours this morning in protest at the scrapping of the caretaker government provision from the constitution and in demand for some other issues.
The BNP and its four allies — Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Bangladesh Jatiya Party (Naziur), Islami Oikya Jote and Khelafat Majlish, which split from the Islami Oikya Jote after the Islamic party combine had joined the BNP-led alliance — are enforcing the general strike simultaneously.
Some other small political parties, including Jatiya Ganatantrik Party, National People’s Party, Bangladesh National Awami Party, Muslim League, Labour Party and National Democratic Party also called the countrywide general strike, the longest stretch at a time since the Awami League-led alliance took office in 2009, for today
The Liberal Democratic Party of Oli Ahmed, a former BNP leader, also extended its support for the general strike.
Twelve Islamist political parties have, meanwhile, announced to enforce countrywide general strike for 30 beginning Sunday morning in protest at the removal of the phrase ‘Absolute trust and faith in the Almighty Allah’ from the constitution. The Jamaat-e-Islami extended its support for the 30-hour strike.
This is going to be the first general strike called simultaneously by all the partners of the BNP-led alliance and like-minded political parties.
This is the seventh general strike called by the BNP after the 2008 general elections.
The BNP and its allies but the Islami Oikya Jote earlier enforced general strike for 36 hours beginning June 12 in protest at the government’s move to scrap the caretaker government provision.
The other issues centring on which the BNP and its allies are enforcing the strike include protest at the ‘hurting of religious sentiment of Muslims, price spiral, slide in law and order and shortage of power, gas and fuel and share market scam.’
The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, meanwhile on Monday, ordered the law enforcement agencies to deal with protesters sternly ‘to protect public life and property’ during strike hours.
She gave the directive at the weekly cabinet meeting before the 48-hour general strike.
The BNP’s acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir at a press conference at the party’s central on Tuesday said that the party along with the people would retaliate by enforcing tougher action programme if the government would try foil the strike.
He alleged that the government was pushing the country towards a confrontations and chaos.
Fakhrul warned the government against any move to foil the strike. ‘The government will be responsible and face dire consequences if any untoward incident happens during strike hours.’
The home affairs minister, Sahara Khatun, on Tuesday announced not to allow the holding of any rallies and processions on the roads by obstructing traffic.
The BNP and its allies including Jamaat-e-Islami, BJP and NAP brought out processions and distributed leaflets to people in the capital and elsewhere to drum up support for the strike. The police also arrested some pickets who were drumming up support for the strike.
The police also foiled an attempt of BNP leaders, including Fakhrul islam, standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan and joint secretary Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, of distributing leaflets at Naya Paltan.
The police also foiled processions at different parts of the country, according to reports reaching from districts.
A huge contingent of policemen stood guard in front of the BNP’s central office at Naya Paltan early in the day and arrested at least 15 BNP activists at the place.
The police also arrested Sultan Salahuddin Tuku, president of the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, the BNP-backed student organisation, early Tuesday. The police, the BNP said, arrested more than 200 BNP activists at places across the country.
The BNP alleged that the police started raiding the houses of its leaders and activists and were harassing the families of BNP activists after they were failing to pick up BNP men.
Unnamed people, said to be pickets, burnt four buses and a covered van in the capital on the eve of today’s general strike.
Addressing the press conference, Mirza Fakhrul brushed aside the allegation of being involved in arson in the capital.
Fakhrul called on the people to make the general strike successful to resist the ‘ill motive’ of the ‘fascist’ AL-led government of clinging to power by snatching away the people’s voting rights.
On June 30, the national assembly passed the Constitution (15th Amendment) Bill 2011 by dropping the caretaker government provision.
-With New Age input
