The main opposition BNP-led 18-party alliance plans another spell of countrywide hartal this week if the government would not take initiative for talks with the opposition to resolve the ongoing stand-off within a couple of days.The situation is further complicated as the five arrested leaders bail was not granted on Thursday. The court ordered further hearing of the bail petition on November 28.
Apparently irked by the government’s reluctance for reaching a compromise Talking to journalists senior BNP leaders said that the duration of the hartals will be longer.
This time the programmes would be much longer” BNP standing committee member Brig (Rtd) Hannan Shah said.
Echoing the same, president of JAGPA an ally of BNP Shafiul Alam Pradhan said: “Primarily there is a plan to call 96 hour long hartal from Monday to Thursday if we find no sign of government initiative by this time”.
Non-stop hartal, non-stop non-cooperation movement or seize programmes will be announced anytime if the President does not take any measures or the government would not respond to President’s call for taking any step towards reaching a compromise by Sunday, Khandakar Mosharraf Hossain a standing committee member of the party said.
We are waiting to see what steps the president would take or how the government would respond to President’s step he added.
Meanwhile, the minutes of the much-hyped meeting between President Abdul Hamid and a 20-member delegation of the 18-party alliance, led by opposition leader Khaleda Zia, has been sent to the government, reports agencies.
The President House (Bangabhaban) has sent the minutes of the meeting to the government, said President’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim on Thursday.
Earlier, on Tuesday, BNP chairperson leader Khaleda Zia along with 19 other leaders of her 18-party alliance met President Abdul Hamid at Bangabhaban seeking presidential intervention to break the current political deadlock, paving the path for holding the next general election under a non-partisan administration.
However, President Abdul Hamid told the opposition alliance leaders that no government in the past incorporated any provision in the Constitution over the role of the President in extending his help to overcome any critical situation.
In another development, a Dhaka court on Thursday fixed November 28 for further hearing on the bail petitions of five top detained BNP leaders in connection with two cases.
Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Zahirul Haque passed the order stated that it would hear the bail pleas on November 28 after quizzing by the investigation officers of the cases.
The investigation officers of the cases are scheduled to quiz the BNP leaders in jail gate on November 24 in connection with the cases.
Law enforcers have arrested the BNP lawmakers– Moudud Ahmed (73), MK Anwar (81) and Rafiqul Islam Miah (71)– and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia’s adviser Abdul Awal Mintoo (65) and her special assistant Shimul Biswas (56) from the city. – Staff Reporter
