Ganatantra Mancha, a combine of six political parties, called a dawn-to-dusk strike for today, rejecting the polls schedule.
Mancha brought out a protest procession in the evening, rejecting the announcement of the schedule by the Election Commission.
Addressing a rally at Paltan crossing after the procession that started in front of the BMA building in the capital, Mancha coordinator and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-JSD leader Shahid Uddin Mahmud Shapon criticised the EC for announcing the farcical schedule ignoring the people’s demand.
Ganosamhati Andolan chief coordinator Zonayed Saki addressed the rally, among others.
Immediately after the announcement of the schedule for the next general election fixing January 7 as polling day, the Left Democratic Party, a coalition of six left parties, called an eight-hour countrywide hartal.
At a protest rally in front of the National Press Club on Wednesday, leaders of the coalition said that most of the opposition political parties, including the LDA, would not participate in the upcoming general election.
They accused the government of holding a unilateral general election in the country.
They called on the government and the Election Commission to refrain from holding such unilateral general election and demanded holding a participatory general election under a caretaker government in a free, fair, and credible manner.
The coordinator of the combine and general secretary of the Revolutionary Communist League, Iqbal Kabir Jahid, chaired the rally.
Communist Party of Bangladesh general secretary Ruhin Hossain Prince, Socialist Party of Bangladesh general secretary Bazlur Rashid Firoz, SPB (Marxist) coordinator Masud Rana, Samajtanrik Party executive president Abdul Ali, and Democratic Revolutionary Party central leader Shahidul Islam Sabuj spoke at the rally.
The rally was followed by a protest procession that paraded on different city roads.
Following a procession, Islami Andolon Bangladesh announced that it would hold demonstrations across the country today.
Ganatantra Mancha also brought out a protest rally instantly in the Topkhana area of the city.
BNP and its allies are expected to announce a fresh programme today, with their 48-hour blockade programme ending on Friday morning.
The Amar Bangladesh Party will hold a protest rally in front of Hotel 71 in Bijoynagar on Thursday, protesting against the announcement of the election schedule.
The member secretary of the party, Mojibur Rahman Monju, announced the programme at a press conference at the party’s central office on Wednesday.
Rejecting the polls schedule, BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said at a virtual press conference that the announcement of the polls schedule, ignoring all concerns, was ridiculous.
‘Announcing the schedule by ignoring the demands of the people of the country and the international arena is just a joke. BNP is rejecting this schedule,’ he said.
Rizvi said that the government would be responsible for the terrible situation that would arise in the country after this decision.
‘The rulers themselves are pushing the country towards a conflict. The movement of the people will accelerate, and the government will resign. The election dream will not be fulfilled by announcing the schedule,’ he said.
New Age