BNP-led opposition set to impose blockade again

After a break of 10 days, the BNP and like-minded parties are again going to enforce a day-long road-rail-waterway blockade across the country on Sunday to press home their demand for holding an inclusive election under a neutral government, reports UNB.

It will be the 12th round of the blockade programme of the opposition parties since October 31, and the first one since the announcement of its non-cooperation movement against the government on December 20.

The blockade will begin at 6am and end at 6 pm on Sunday.

Speaking at a virtual press briefing on Monday, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi called upon the country‍‍`s people and the supporters of BNP and other opposition parties to observe the programme spontaneously to make it a success.

Vehicles of the newspapers or media, ambulances and vehicles transporting oxygen cylinders and medicines will remain out of the purview of the blockade.

Rizvi said the fresh blockade programme is also meant to mount pressure on the government to quit,  annul the election schedule for the 12th parliamentary polls, and release party leaders and activists, including its secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

He said other opposition parties, who have long been carrying out the simultaneous movement with the BNP, will also observe a similar programme.

Rizvi, on behalf of BNP, thanked the leaders of the opposition parties who conducted mass campaigns on December 21, 22 and 23 by distributing leaflets in different parts of the country urging people to boycott the ‘lopsided’ election slated for January 7 and to drum up public support in favour of the non-cooperation movement.

Earlier, the opposition parties last enforced a 36-hour road-rail-waterway blockade across the country beginning on October 12.

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.

BNP’s movement lost its momentum following clashes with law enforcers centring the party’s grand rally on October 28 as many senior leaders, including its 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 22 days in 11 phases and hartals for five days in four spells since October 29.

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