The BNP-led 18-party alliance on Friday called a fresh 72-hour spell
of nationwide hartal from 6 am on Sunday to push the government for
arranging the next election under a non-party caretaker government.
BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir came up with
the hartal call at a press conference at the BNP chairperson’s Gulshan
office in the afternoon after a secretary general-level meeting of the
18-party alliance. “As per the decision of the 18-party alliance,
we’re announcing a 72-hour peaceful countrywide shutdown from 6am
Sunday to 6am Wednesday demanding that the next parliament election be
arranged under a non-party neutral government,” Fakhrul said.
Earlier, the 18-party enforced two spells of 60-hour countrywide
shutdown –October 27 to October 29 and November 4 to November 6—to
push for the same demand that left 22 people dead and over 12,000
people injured across the country. Fakhrul warned the government
that it will have to shoulder all the responsibilities for the
consequences if it creates any obstacle to peaceful observance of
their three-day shutdown. He, however, said they will observe the
strike in a peaceful manner, and people through their spontaneous
support will make it a success. The 18-party spokesman alleged that
the government is going ahead with its plan for unilaterally holding
the next polls under a “so-called” all-party administration defying
the people’s demand and opinion. Explaining their reason for calling
the hartal programme, the BNP leader said they were forced to call the
shutdown as the government is yet to take any effective step to meet
their demand for holding the election under a non-party
administration, which now turned into a national and mass demand.
“We want to clearly state that the tenures of the government and
parliament are come to an end. Though the ruling party leaders are
shouting for dialogue in their addresses, the government didn’t take
any sincere initiative for talks or negotiation based on the mass
demand for holding the polls under a non-party administration,” he
said. He also alleged that the ruling party leaders are making
contradictory remarks about the talks and election to mislead people.
Justifying their demand, Fakhrul said there is no alternative to a
non-party neutral interim government to ensure a free, fair and
inclusive election and protect people’s democratic and voting rights.
“We want to equivocally say that the country’s people will in no way
accept any election unless it’s overseen by a non-party neutral
government,” he added. Fakhrul said all types of vehicles engaged in
providing medical services, ambulances, media vehicles, medicine shops
and food shops will remain out of the purview of the hartal. Asked
whether they will be able to realise their demand only by enforcing
hartals, Fakhrul said every movement in Bangladesh in past became
successful through observing general strikes with people’s spontaneous
support. Replying to another question, the 18-party spokesman said
their door for dialogue and negotiation is still open. “We’re
repeatedly saying that we want a peaceful solution to the crisis
through dialogue and compromise. As the government is not taking any
effective measures, we’re forcing to enforce hartal.” BNP assistant
office secretaries Abdul Latif Jony and Shamimur Rahman Shamim and
senior leaders of the 18-party were present at the press conference. –
UNB
