The BNP will stage countrywide demonstrations today and enforce a dawn-to-dusk shutdown tomorrow in protest of the attack on party chief Khaleda Zia’s motorcade while electioneering.
Dhaka and Chittagong cities, where campaigns for city corporations polls are in full swing, will remain outside of the purview of the hartal.
The BNP, major rival of the ruling Awami League, alleged the attack on Khaleda’s motorcade was pre-planned.
The party said men from the ruling party’s student wing, the Chhatra League, participated in the attack with assistance from police.
“The attack was carried out in a planned way to kill Khaleda Zia,” BNP standing committee member Moudud Ahmed told a press conference at the party office in the city’s Nayapaltan.
Announcing a hartal for Wednesday, he said it, however, would not be applicable for Dhaka and Chittagong cities as the corporations are set to hold elections on April 28.
Immediately after the announcement of the countrywide shutdown, some unidentified people exploded crude bombs in the area.
Meanwhile, police were withdrawn from in front of Khaleda’s residence at Gulshan yesterday.
Moudud raised questions against the withdrawal of police members deployed for the security of the residence of the former prime minister.
He also criticised Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her “provocative statement” and said police withdrawal proved the attack was planned beforehand.
“The government has chosen the path of fascism realising its defeat in the upcoming city polls. Do not compel us to think of alternative programmes by conducting terrorist activities against us,” he said.
When asked about “alternative programmes,” the party’s senior leader said: “Everything will be told in due time.” Moudud reiterated that his party would not backtrack from the elections even after the attack.