Dhaka – The much-talked-about election was held on Sunday amid massive violence that left over 20 people dead. The BNP-led 18-party alliance on Tuesday extended its ongoing 48-hour nationwide hartal by 12 hours until 6pm Wednesday demanding the cancellation of Sunday’s election results. The shutdown that will go alongside its ongoing nonstop countrywide blockade is also meant for protesting the arrest of its leaders and activists, including those picked up today, and the killing of alliance activists ahead and after the election.BNP vice-chairman Selima Rahman came up with the announcement at a press conference at her Gulshan residence in the afternoon. The opposition combine will stage demonstrations across the country on January 11 and ‘Doa Day’ (prayers day) on January 10 in memory of those killed during the period. The shutdown that began at 6am Monday was scheduled to end at 6am Wednesday. The 10th parliamentary elections were held amid the boycott by the opposition who skipped the polls as their demand for polls under a non-party neutral government was not met.
The second day of the BNP-led 18-party alliance’s 60-hour countrywide hartal, demanding the cancellation of Sunday’s election results, passed off peacefully barring some stray incidents of violence on Tuesday, leaving one dead in Feni.
The opposition combine originally enforced a 48-hour shutdown at 6am on Monday which was scheduled to end at 6am on Wednesday. However, the alliance on Tuesday extended the shutdown by 12 hours until 6pm Wednesday.
In Feni, a covered van driver, Shah Alam, 32, was killed and his helper Al-Amin, 30, severely burnt as their vehicle overturned and was ablaze after being hit by a petrol bomb thrown by miscreants on the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway in Hafezia area of Sadar upazila in the earl hours.
According to reports reaching the UNB news desk, at least 25 people were injured, including five with bullets while 22 vehicles damaged across the country on the second day.
The law enforcers arrested over 100 opposition men, including top four BNP leaders countrywide.
In the capital, there was no report of any violent incident. No picketing in support of the shutdown was reported either.
Meanwhile, law enforcers arrested BNP leaders Selima Rahman, Khandker Mahbub Hossain, Fazlul Haque Milon and Nazimuddin Ahmed, MP.
The movement of public transport on the city streets was somewhat more than the previous day while rickshaws, CNG-run auto-rickshaws and battery-run easy-bikes dominated there.
However, no long-route bus departed from or arrived in the city during the hartal. Law enforcers took position at different strategic points to fend off any trouble.
Incidents of stray violence like arson attacks and clashes were reported from Manikganj, Chittagong, Feni, Gaibandha, Sylhet, Sirajganj, Chuadanga and Natore districts.
In Joupurhat, the hartal supporters hurled a petrol bomb on a Rajshahi-bound ‘Uttara Express’ from Parbatipur at Panchbibi Railway Station during the hartal hours. However, no casualty was reported.
The opposition alliance’s fresh hartal call came hours after the closure of voting for the 10th national election on Sunday that saw low voter turnout and massive violence, leaving over 20 people dead across the country.
Meanwhile, the opposition asked the government to quit and take initiative for holding the election under a non-party caretaker government through talks. – UNB
