The BNP-led 20-party alliance is set to enforce a 72-hour fresh nationwide hartal from 6am on Sunday as part of its movement for what it says resorting democracy and people’s voting right, and protesting government’s repressive acts and growing incidents of ‘extrajudicial killing’.
The shutdown programme will end at 6am on Wednesday.
In a statement, BNP joint secretary general Salahuddin Ahmed, on behalf of the alliance, announced the hartal on Friday in addition to their ongoing nonstop transport blockade which remains in force for 33 consecutive days on Saturday.
The hartal is also meant for registering the 20-party’s protest against mass arrest of opposition men and common people, interference in the judiciary, control over the media and torture on journalists.
The shutdown programme will also be observed to press home the alliance’s demand for restoring human and basic rights of people, securing the release of the 20-party leaders and activists, including BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
Meanwhile, the SSC and its equivalent examinations, scheduled for February 8 and 10, have been shifted to February 13 and 14 respectively due to the hartal.
The SCC examinations on two subjects held so far had to be rescheduled as the 20-party had also enforced hartal for five consecutive days from Sunday last week.
Source: UNB
