20-party demo amid blockade tomorrow

The 20-party alliance, led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), threatened Thursday to go for tougher programme like fresh spell of hartals alongside the ongoing blockade from Sunday next if its 9-point demand is not met by Saturday.

In a statement, the party's Joint Secretary General Salahuddin Ahmed said the alliance will stage protest rallies and processions at each upazila, district, municipality and metropolis of the country on Saturday to realise the demands.

The demands include holding of parliamentary polls under a caretaker government, immediate and unconditional release of all political detainees and stoppage of extra-judicial killings by the law enforcers.

"The 20-party alliance will go for tougher movements like hartals alongside the ongoing blockade from Sunday next unless announcement of meeting the demands is made by the government within the time," the statement said.

He also criticised the Prime Minister for her Wednesday's remarks in parliament that the BNP would be banned, if necessary.

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