BNP spokesman Shamsuzzaman Dudu announced the shutdown programme at a press briefing at its Nayapaltan central office in the morning.
He said the hartal programme was declared to register the opposition’s protest against the government’s ‘undemocratic attitude’ and also to press home their demand for restoring the caretaker government system for holding the next general election.
The shutdown, Dudu said, is also meant for registering the opposition’s protest against the May 5 crackdown on Hefajat-e-Islam activists at Shapla Chattar in the city and to press the government for the release of all arrested opposition leaders and activists as well as to mount pressure on the “failed regime” to quit.
The BNP-led 18-party rally was originally scheduled for Monday in front of the BNP’s Nayapaltan central office and the opposition alliance shifted the same to Wednesday after denied permission by the government.
On May 9, BNP standing committee member Barrister Moudud Ahmed announced the rally programme for Monday from the BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office after a meeting of the party policymakers.
Addressing the briefing, Dudu, also an adviser to BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, said the government is not allowing the opposition to exercise their democratic rights of holding rallies and meetings. “We’ve applied twice for holding our rally but they didn’t permit us.”
Accusing the government of obstructing BNP leaders and activists by police to enter the party’s central office, he said, “We want to ask the government is BNP’s central office announced a sub-jail or is BNP a banned party?”
The government will not be able to cover up its failures by blocking the programmes of the opposition, he added.
Refereeing to the UN’s initiative for resolving the country’s political problem through dialogue, Dudu said his party was seeing a ray of hope for having solution to the ongoing political crisis, but the government attitude indicates that it is not willing for the talk. “The government should clearly state that whether it wants dialogue or not.”
Pointing at Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the BNP leader said if she resigns all problems will be solved and there will be no violence.
BNP joint secretary general Barkat Ullah Bulu, executive committee member Khairul Kabir Khokan and Dhaka city unit member secretary Abdus Salam were, among others, present.
Meanwhile, police detained BNP joint secretary general Bulu as he came out of the party central office after the press briefing 11:30 am.
