Three parties among the 12 so-called ‘Islamist’ parties have disclaimed their support for Thursday’s call for a general strike against the leftist parties that enforced a nationwide shutdown on Tuesday to demand that authorities ban these religion-based parties as they contradict the Constitution.
Some of those hard-line parties are part of the BNP-led 18-Party opposition alliance but the main opposition party led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia has refused to extend support to Thursday’s general strike meant to ban the communist parties.
The Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) and Socialist Party of Bangladesh (SPB), better known as BaSad, enforced the daylong shutdown with a difference to press a ban on ‘all communal political parties’ including Jamaat-e-Islami.
Jafar Ullah Khan, Member Secretary of 12 radical and like-minded parties, from a press conference in Dhaka’s Lalbagh had earlier announced that they would enforce a general strike on Thursday.
Khan disclosed that National Democratic Party (NDP), Bangladesh NAP, National Awami Party (Bhasani), Khelafat Andolon, Sommilito Olama Mashaykh Party, Khelafat Majlish, Ainma Parishad, Muslim League, Islamic Party, Islami Oikya Andolon, Nejame Islam, Jomioyte Ulama Islam were going to stage Thursday’s protest.
But a statement by the Bangladesh NAP signed by its Office Secretary Mohammad Nurul Aman Chowdhury said they had no connection with the strike call.
Contacted, leaders of NAP (Bhasani) and NDP who were absent in the press conference led by Khan said they had no support for Thursday’s call for shutdown.
Golam Mostafa Bhuiyan, Secretary General of NAP (Bhasani), told bdnews24.com: “Last year I joined a meeting of the 12-party. But we have no involvement with this coalition (12 parties). There’s no question of supporting this shutdown.”
NDP Chairman Khandker Golam Mortuza told bdnews24.com: “We had our engagement with the coalition (12 parties). But there was no discussion with us before this kind of shutdown plan was unveiled. We will protest this in writing tomorrow.”
NDP, NAP (Bhasani) and Bangladesh NAP are part of the 18-Party alliance, which has been pressing the government to restore the caretaker government to oversee next elections.
BNP leader Tariqul Islam at a press conference on Tuesday said the main opposition party was not supporting Thursday’s call for the shutdown.
Source: Bd News24