Tension keeps on mounting in the city as the BNP-led 18-party opposition alliance threatens to continue their ‘March for Democracy’ programme in the capital on Monday along with sit-in ones across the country.
The opposition combine that demands the government arrange the election under a non-partisan interim administration to avert polls fraud on Sunday could not stage its ‘March for Democracy’ programme in the city due to strong resistance by law enforcers and ruling party activists.
Outraged by the government obstruction, opposition leader Khaleda Zia threatened that their March for Democracy programme will continue tomorrow (Monday), no matter what. “Our programme will continue tomorrow (Monday), even day after tomorrow (Tuesday) …it’ll continue, let’s see what you (govt) can do.”
BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir in a statement on Sunday also said their programme will continue on Monday in Dhaka, protesting the obstruction to their peaceful programme, illegal confinement of the opposition leader.
Just before his arrest, BNP vice chairman Maj (retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed however at a press conference at the Jatiya Press Club on Sunday evening announced that the 18-party leaders and activists will observe sit-in programmes on roads, railways and waterways until the government cancels the January-5 election schedule.
He also said the March for Democracy programme will be held in front of BNP’s Nayapaltan central office on Monday. The programme will begin around 10am and the opposition leader can join it anytime.
Later, plainclothes police arrested Hafiz as he was getting in his car coming out of the Press Club after the press conference.
During Sunday’s violence over the opposition’s Nayapaltan rally, two people were killed in the city.
A leader of Islami Chhatra Shibir, the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, was killed in police firing during a clash between 18-party activists and police in Malibagh Bazar area. In another incident, a Railway Nirapatta Bahini (RNB) member, Abul Kashem, 30 was killed in a bomb attack at Kamalapur Railway Station.
As the tension runs high, the government has kept opposition leader Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan residence under virtual siege, restricting her from coming out of it.
Source: UNBConnect
