The BNP-led 20-party alliance has called a dawn-to-dusk general strike in the district for Sunday.
City unit BNP Joint Secretary Ziauddin Shikdar issued a press release on Saturday, declaring the shut down.
He told the Dhaka Tribune: “The hartal has been called, protesting arrest the government move of planning to arrest BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and filing of false case against city unit BNP Secretary Advocate Mojibor Rahman Sarwar.”
The BNP-led 20-party has been observing nationwide non-stop roads and waterways blockade since January 5, protesting the confinement of Khaleda Zia.
The current blockade has been marked by violence and sporadic clashes between the police and protesters, leaving a number of people killed and injured.
More than 35 people have been killed since the blockade has been enforced.
Khaleda had been kept confined to her Gulshan party office since January 3 ahead of a party rally scheduled to be held on January 5, marking the “Democracy Killing Day.”
All the barricades in front of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan office have been removed on January 12.
However, the party chief did not leave the office and declared to continue the blockade until further announcement.
Political tensions between the Awami League-led Government and the BNP-led 20-party alliance have been increased in January 2015 on the first anniversary of the January 5, 2014 parliamentary elections, which the BNP boycotted.
