48-hour nationwide hartal called by BNP underway

A 48-hour hartal, called by BNP and like-minded opposition parties to protest the 12th parliamentary election to be held tomorrow, is underway.

The hartal began at 6 am and will end at 6 am on Monday.

A large number of people have left Dhaka city ahead of the January 7 national parliamentary election. The number of vehicles on the street are fewer compared to other days, but despite fear of arson attacks, public vehicles were plying the streets.

Four people were killed as arsonists burnt four coaches of the Benapole Express train in Dhaka last night.

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi announced the hartal at a virtual press briefing on Thursday.

He said their programme is meant to drum up public support in favor of the party’s call to boycott the January 7 election.

BNP along with nearly three dozen opposition political parties have been carrying out a simultaneous movement since December 10 last year to force the current government to quit and hold the 12th parliamentary election under a non-party neutral administration.

Many senior leaders, including BNP’s secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, were arrested while many others went into hiding in the face of a crackdown by the law enforcers.

However, BNP and like-minded parties enforced countrywide blockades for 23 days in 12 phases and hartals for five days since October 29.

The opposition party came up with the call for a non-cooperation movement on December 20.