After over nine months, chiefs of the BNP-led 20-party alliance’s components sit in a meeting this evening to discuss its next course of action.
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, also the combine chief, yesterday called the meeting at her Gulshan political office. She last held the meeting of the opposition alliance on Nov 7 last year.
In the meeting, the alliance is likely to discuss a number of issues, including causes of failure of its blockade programme and its next course of action, said sources in the opposition alliance.
Facing police obstacles to coming out of her Gulshan office to attend a mass gathering in front of the BNP’s Nayapaltan central office, Khaleda on January 5 announced a countrywide nonstop blockade programme, demanding the holding of a fresh election under a non-party government.
The alliance sponsored the blockade along with a series of frequent hartals that continued till April 5. Over 100 people were killed and a large amount of properties was damaged during the time.
On April 5, Khaleda surrendered before the special judge’s court at Bakshi Bazar and later returned her house from Gulshan office where she stayed for 92 days. This move of Khaleda apparently ceased the opposition’s violent movement.
The opposition alliance is yet to call off its anti-government movement formally as Khaleda has recently claimed that their blockade programme is still in effect.
An announcement is likely to come on the fate of blockade after the meeting, said sources in the alliance.
The meeting is also significant as it is going to be held before the BNP chief’s upcoming visit to London this week. BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir will not be available in the meeting as he is now in the USA for treatment.
Source: The Daily Star
