‘Hartal’ extended by 48 hours

The BNP-led 20-party alliance called on Tuesday a fresh 48-hour countrywide hartal from 6am today (Wednesday) to 6am (Friday) demanding safe return of 'missing' BNP joint secretary general Salahuddin Ahmed to his family members.

Barkat Ullah Bulu, joint secretary general of the BNP, made the hartal announcement through a press release on Tuesday, on the 71st day of nonstop countrywide transport blockade enforced by the alliance.

The blockade and hartal on Tuesday passed off with arrest of more than 200 BNP-Jamaat activists, though no major picketing and violence was noticed in the city and elsewhere in the country.

Besides, the alliance will stage demonstrations across the country on Thursday to press home the demand.

Bulu urged the country's people to arrange prayer sessions in mosques, temples, churches and other worship places on Friday for wellbeing of Salahuddin.

Earlier on Saturday, the BNP alliance called the fresh spell of 72-hour nationwide hartal for the seventh consecutive week from 6am Sunday to push for its various demands, including a fresh national election under a non-party administration alongside its ongoing countrywide indefinite transport blockade.

Though it had extended their earlier 6th consecutive 72-hour hartal to 48 hours on the same ground, the alliance for the first time called a fresh 48-hour hartal to push for a different issue.

Law enforcing agencies also arrested 11 BNP-Jamaat activists from different areas in the city on Monday night and Tuesday, 45 in Jessore, 39 in Rangpur, 32 in Manikganj, 56 in Khulna, five in Jhenaidaha, 43 in Satkhira.

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