The BNP and its allies have rejected the electoral roadmap and will enforce Bangladesh-wide blockades of road, rail and water transports for 48 hours starting from 6am Tuesday.
The opposition’s spokesperson Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced the protest programme at a press briefing on Monday at BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan office.
The Opposition plans to force Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to quit and make way for a caretaker government to oversee the elections.
Fakhrul said, “We ask that the schedule be kept on hold until a settlement is reached.”
The retaliatory measure came barely an hour after the Chief Election Commissioner spelled out the schedule for the 10th parliamentary election.
The Opposition had earlier threatened to cripple Bangladesh if the timeline was announced.
The past Election Commission had thrice changed its schedule for the BNP before the ninth parliamentary election in 2008.
The general elections will take place on Jan 5 next year, 19 days before the Jan 24 constitutional deadline.
Fakhrul briefed the media after a meeting with party chief Khaleda where other senior BNP leaders including Mirza Abbas, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy and Shamser Mobin Chowdhury were present.
Several leaders of the 18-Party coalition parties – LDP Secretary General Redwan Ahmed, Joint Secretary General Shahadat Hossain Selim and NDP Chairman Khandaker Gulam Murtoja – had also met the Opposition Leader after the polls schedule.
Fakhrul urged everyone to ‘kindly sacrifice a bit’ to participate in the Opposition’s 48-hour blockades.
“We are now at a new stage of our campaign against a one-sided election,” he said. “The announcements for this campaign will be made in several stages.”
The main opposition’s last blockade programme was on Dec 9 last year.
Bikalpadhara rejects too
Bikalpadhara Bangladesh President AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury has also rejected the roadmap.
In a statement released on Monday night, he said, “I condemn the government and the Election Commission for this move. I hope the people will unite to form protests across the country.”
The former President thinks that the EC’s move would pave the way to more conflicts.
Source: Bd news24