BNP to enforce another spell of 48-hour blockade from Wednesday

The BNP and like-minded parties will enforce yet another 48-hour fresh road-rail-waterway blockade across the country starting from Wednesday morning to protest the schedule for the next national election announced by the Election Commission (EC).

It will be the 10th round of the blockade programme of the opposition parties since October 31.

Besides, the party together with the family members of those who were subjected to enforced disappearance and fictitious cases will form human chains in all cities and district towns across the country on December 10, marking the International Human Rights Day.   

Party Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi came up with the announcement at a virtual press briefing on Monday afternoon.

He said the blockade will begin at 6am Wednesday and end at 6m on Friday.

Rizvi said the blockade is also meant for mounting pressure on the government to quit, hold the next election under a non-party neutral government 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 BNP, will also observe a similar programme.

The fresh programme was announced around 9 hours before the end of the opposition’s ongoing blockade programme that will end at 6m on Tuesday.

Rizvi thanked the country’s people and the opposition leaders and activists for making their blockade a success.

The opposition parties observed blockades in nine phases to mount pressure on the Awami League government to quit power and hold the next election under a non-partisan administration.

They also observed a nationwide dawn-to-dusk hartal in three phases since October 29.