Demanding resignation of the government and election under a non-partisan interim administration, the BNP-led 20-party alliance yesterday called for another spell of 72 hours’ countrywide shutdown from today.
BNP Joint Secretary General Salahuddin Ahmed made the announcement through a press release on behalf of the alliance.
The statement said alliance members would enforce the hartal, alongside the ongoing non-stop transport blockade, which began on January 5.
“We have called for a hartal again, as there is no sign the government will quit power and announce it will hold a free and fair election under a non-party administration, accepting the people’s demands,” the statement said.
The hartal that ends at 6am on Wednesday has also been called to protest against what the alliance calls the killing of many opposition activists in crossfires, mass arrests of its supporters and commoners, interference with the judiciary, control over the media, torture of journalists, and a “plot to kill BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia” by stopping food supplies to her office.
Salahuddin earlier threatened to enforce an all-out hartal and other tougher actions if the government did not accept their demands by yesterday.
So far, nearly 90 people have been killed, mostly in firebomb attacks carried out allegedly by anti-government activists.
Law enforcement agencies have arrested more than 10,000 people on suspicion of carrying out the attacks and aiding the attackers.