After observing a countrywide hartal on Sunday, the BNP-led 18-party alliance will enforce another shutdown on Wednesday, protesting the fresh arrest warrant issued against the party’s Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman.
Party standing committee member Abdul Moyeen Khan declared the countrywide dawn-to-dusk hartal after a meeting of the alliance, at the BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan office in the evening on Monday.
The alliance also demanded withdrawal of all the cases filed against Tarique, the elder son of the BNP chief.
Ten district units of the BNP called hartals today over the same issue. The districts are Laxmipur, Comilla, Joypurhat, Tangail, Faridpur, Feni, Rajbari, Narsingdi, Madaripur and Kishoreganj, according to news agencies.
Moyeen Khan said: “Tarique Rahman is now on bail, but he was harassed as some false cases were filed against him.” He also condemned the arrest of standing committee member MK Anwar and the ban on meetings and processions.
The arrest warrant was issued on May 26 for a money laundering case, days after Tarique attended a party meeting in London, where he has been living since 2008 after securing bail. The court also asked authorities to bring Tarique back with the help of Interpol.