The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Sunday announced a three-day mass contact and leaflet distribution programme across the country beginning Tuesday to drum up public support in favour of the party’s call for boycotting the upcoming national election billed for January 7 and the non-cooperation movement.
The party’s senior joint secretary general, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, announced the fresh programme at a virtual press conference, while a daylong nationwide road, rail, and waterway blockade across the country was enforced by the party and its allies, demanding the resignation of the ruling Awami League and handing over power to a party-neutral election-time administration.
‘A mass contact and leaflet distribution programme will be observed across the country for three days on December 26, 27, and 28. I announce this programme in favour of [our call for] boycotting the election and continuing the non-cooperation movement,’ he said.
BNP’s like-minded parties have also announced a similar programme.
According to the fire service and civil defence, at least four passenger buses were set on fire by miscreants in places, including three in Dhaka and one in Cumilla, during the BNP’s blockade programme on Sunday.
BNP and its associate bodies brought out processions in different places, mainly on the highways of the country, to enforce the blockade programme.
It was the 12th such blockade programme called by the opposition parties since October 31, and the first since the announcement of BNP’s non-cooperation movement against the government on December 20.
BNP, along with nearly three dozen opposition political parties, has been carrying out a simultaneous movement since December last year to force the current government to quit and hold the 12th parliamentary election under a non-party neutral administration.
Amar Bangladesh Party, which was protesting separately, formed a human chain at Bijoy 71 square in Bijoynagar in support of the countrywide road blockade programme on Sunday.
AB party convener AFM Solaiman Chowdhurry and joint conveners Abdul Wahab Minar and Assaduzzaman Fuaad spoke, among others, at the programme.
The rally was followed by a protest procession that paraded different city roads.
BNP’s movement lost its momentum following clashes with law enforcers centring the party’s grand rally on October 28 as many senior leaders, including its secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, were arrested while many others went into hiding in the face of a crackdown.
However, the BNP and its like-minded parties have enforced countrywide blockades for 22 days in 11 phases and hartals for five days in four spells since October 29.
On December 20, the opposition party came up with the call for a non-cooperation movement.
New Age
