20-party nationwide hartal tomorrow

The BNP-led 20-party alliance announced on Saturday a daylong hartal for tomorrow (Monday) across the country protesting the foiling of its scheduled Gazipur rally, reports UNB.

BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced the shutdown programme after an emergency meeting of secretaries general of the 20-party combine at the BNP chief's Gulshan office in the afternoon.

The hartal that comes after the dawn-to-dusk shutdown enforced by the BNP alliance in Gazipur on Saturday will begin at 6am and end at 6pm. The fresh hartal call was made protesting against the arrest of the alliance leaders and demanding release of those arrested.

The 20-party was scheduled to hold the rally at the Bhawal Badre Alam Government College ground in Gazipur on Saturday as part of its countrywide mass campaign to mobilise public support in favour of their demand for holding a fresh inclusive election under a non-party administration. BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia was scheduled to address the rally.

But the rally was foiled after the local administration imposed Section 144 on the rally venue as the ruling party men took over the college ground to hold a rally at the same time.

The alliance enforced then the dawn-to-dusk hartal in Gazipur and also staged demonstrations across the country on Saturday protesting the foiling of the rally.

However, the dawn-to-dusk hartal in Gazipur ended without any major incident of violence in the district.

Motorised vehicles stayed off the city roads while shops remained closed during the shutdown. Some vehicles were seen on the Dhaka-Tangail and Dhaka-Mymensingh highways.