Demo on Jan 11, Doa Day Jan 10
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 also stage demonstrations across the country on January 11 and observe ‘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 a non-party caretaker government to oversee the election went unheeded.
The much-talked-about election was held on Sunday amid massive violence that left over 20 people dead.
Source: UNB Connect
The January 5 election, however farcical it might be, is over. But BNP seems to have failed to fix its strategy in the new reality. It should realize that continuous strike and blockade is pushing them into a dire strait. They should rethink their strategy with effective cooperation with the newly formed NDF who also boycotted the said election. Together with NDF, BNP and its alliance has more than 60% support among the people who are not happy with the continuous strike and blockade. It’s rather distancing them from the common people most of who are hard hit in such situation. We ‘aam janata’ think that BNP and its alliance should sit with NDF and find out new strategy to tackle the current situation when the iron is hot.