The BNP-led 20-party alliance on Saturday called a countrywide dawn-to-dusk hartal across the country for Monday demanding the withdrawal of all false cases filed against alliance leaders and the release of alliance leaders including Goyeshwar Chandra Roy immediately.
The alliance called the hartal also protesting the police foiling demonstration, BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia’s rally in Gazipur and ruling party’s procession and demonstration there by violating the section 144.
BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced the programme at a press conference following a secretaries general level meeting of the 20-party alliance at Khaleda’s Gulshan office in the evening.“We condemn the double standard of the government that issued the section 144 to foil Khaleda Zia’s rally by Chhatra League and on the other hand the BCL brought out procession in league with the police,” he alleged.
The hartal programme coincides the first anniversary of March for Democracy programme of the BNP of December 29 last year.
Presided over by the BNP acting secretary general, the meeting was attended, among others, by Redwan Ahmed of LDP, Ahmed Abdul Quader of Khelafat Majlish, Khandaker Lufor Rahman of Jagpa, and Fazlur Rahman of IOJ.
The 20-party was scheduled to hold the rally at Bhawal Badre Alam Government College ground in Gazipur on Saturday in the district as part of its countrywide mass campaign to mobilise public support in favour of their demand for holding a fresh inclusive election under a non-party administration. BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia was scheduled to address the rally.
But the rally was foiled after the local administration imposed Section 144 on its venue as the ruling party men took over the college ground on Thursday to hold a rally at the same schedule.
The alliance enforced a dawn-to-dusk hartal in Gazipur and staged demonstrations across the country on Saturday protesting the foiling of the rally.
In protest against the ban, the BNP announced the dawn-to-dusk hartal in Gazipur and hold countrywide demonstrations Saturday.
The dawn-to-dusk hartal, called by BNP-led 20-party alliance protesting imposing section 144 what they said to “thwart” public meeting of former premier Khaleda Zia in Gazipur, was observed peacefully.
No picketing of the BNP-led 20-party alliance was seen either in Gazipur town or Tongi areas during the hartal.
Leaders and activists of Sreepur and Kaliakoir tried to bring out small processions in their respective areas but police charge batons to disperse them.
Police also detained some unruly pickets during the hartal began at 6:00am and ended at 6:00pm.
Leaders and activists of the ruling Awami League and its front organisditons including Chhatra League, Juba League, Sramik League, however, brought out series of anti-hartal processions and held rallies defying the section 144 prohibiting assembling of more than five people.
The ruling party leaders denied the violation of section 144 saying that they brought out procession protesting the hartal.
Khaleda Zia, who is also chairperson of the party, was scheduled to address a public meeting at Bhawal Badre Alam Government College yesterday afternoon.
Bangladesh Chhatra League on the other hand vowed to resist Khaleda Zia to join the meeting unless her elder son Tarique Rahman withdraws his comments on Bangabandhu.
Tarique Rahman, also senior vice chairman of the BNP, at a victory day programme in London termed the father of the nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as a rajakar.
Local administration on Friday imposed section 144 apprehending deterioration of law and order centring the rally of Khaleda Zia. The administration imposed section 144 at the venue and surrounding areas on Friday and banned any kinds of meeting, gathering and procession until the next notice.
But it was seen that during the hartal called by BNP on Saturday Chhatra league leaders and activists gathered at Joydebpur Chowrasta area, a few far from the venue where scheduled of Khaled’s rally, with procession from different areas led by convenor of Gazipur district Chhatra league Delwar Hossain and president of Bhawal college Chhatra league Idris Ali.
BCL activists yesterday brought out a procession and gathered at Joydebpur intersection and Gazipur town during the hartal in presence of police in those areas.
AL Gazipur unit and Tongi unit also brought out anti hartal processions in Gazipur Town and Tongi Natun Bazar area in the morning where Gazipur city AL leader Wasuddin Miah and local MP Zahid Ahsan Rasel were present respectively.
Except some human haulers and CNGs, movement of motor vehicles almost remained off in the streets during hartal hours.
Some picketers led by former president of Sreepur upazila BNP Abdul Motaleb tried to bring out a procession at Beraiderchala area in Sreepur upazila in the morning. Police charge batons on the pickets to disperse them. Later, they vandalised two human haulers, locally known as Leguna, at 9 am.
A procession was brought out led by Kazi Sayedul Alam Babul,BNP’s district secretary in Kaliakoir Sader. Meanwhile, police also detained six pro-BNP activists from different parts in Kaliakoir upazila early yesterday on charge of hatching conspiracy for carrying out sabotage activities during the strike.
Officer in charge of Kaliakoir police station Omer Faruk confirmed the news.
Officer in charge of Joydebpur police station Khandaker Rezaul Hasan said, three BNP activists were arrested from Barbari area under the city corporation while they were trying to attack on a police van.
Additional police were deployed in different important places of the district during hartal to avoid any kind of untoward situation, said superintendent of Gazipur police Harun Or Rashid.
According to him four platoons of Border guard of Bangladesh (BGB) also deployed in the district during the hartal.
While contracted with Delwar Hossain about the violation of section 144, he said, we did not hold gathering or brought out procession at the venue where the administration imposed section 144.
“We have just brought out anti-hartal procession, it is not violation of section 144,” he said.
Officer in charge of Joydebpur police station Khandaker Rezaull Hasan said he has no information about violation of section 144.
He further said that any one can bring procession out side of the venue where imposed 144.
Amid growing political tension and Chhatra League’s threat to resist Khaleda Zia’s rally at the Bhawal Badre Alam College ground on Saturday, the administration imposed the section 144 on the venue and adjacent areas prohibiting all political gatherings. – Staff Reporter
