The BNP-led 20-party opposition alliance has called another spell of 72-hour nationwide hartal from Sunday morning demanding the release of all political prisoners and the return of BNP joint secretary general Salahuddin Ahmed stopping killing, enforced disappearance and mass arrests.
The hartal comes amid the speculation that the alliance backed candidates are likely to take part in the forthcoming elections to Dhaka (North and South) and Chittagong City Corporations.The shutdown beginning at 6:00am Sunday will continue till 6:00am on Wednesday, according to a press statement issued by BNP joint secretary general Barkatullah Bulu.
The hartal will be enforced along with the non-stop countrywide blockade that began on January 6.
The statement regretted that Salahuddin Ahmed neither was released nor produced before the court even after 12 days he was allegedly taken away by law enforcers plainclothes from his hideout at Uttara. “The government even acknowledged his arrest,” it added saying that former Chhatra Dal leader Anisur Rahman Talukder was also become the victim of similar fate.
The 20-party alliance accused the government of creating reign of terror and eliminating the opposition in the name of curb terrorism.
“Thus, there is no alternative to continue with the movement to realise the rights of people including franchise.
The 20-party alliance has been enforcing a series of hartals across the country on all working days since February 1 forcing immense loss of country’s all sectors specially economy, trade and commerce let alone loss of lives of at least 87 people mostly are common people.
The government was forced to reschedule several SSC and equivalent examinations due to the hartals. Staff Reporter
