The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has declared a 24-hour road, rail, and waterway blockade set to commence tomorrow (Wednesday) morning, followed by a daylong hartal on Thursday.
This protest is in response to the Election Commission's (EC) announcement of the schedule for the upcoming national election.
Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi revealed these plans during a virtual press briefing on Monday.
He specified that the blockade will start at 6:00 am on Wednesday, continuing until 6:00 am on Thursday, while the hartal will persist from dawn to dusk on Thursday.
Previously, the BNP and allied parties initiated a 48-hour countrywide shutdown from November 19, followed by a 48-hour blockade starting November 22. Another phase of the 48-hour blockade commenced on November 26, concluding at 6:00 am on Tuesday.
This series of blockades, totaling seven phases, aims to exert pressure on the ruling Awami League government to resign and conduct the upcoming election under a non-partisan administration.
Mr. Rizvi reported the recent arrest of 385 party leaders and activists, along with the filing of 13 cases against 480 individuals associated with the party.
Rizvi said that ambulances, vehicles carrying emergency medical supplies, and oxygen-laden vehicles would be exempt from the blockade and hartal.
Incidents of violence were reported during the ongoing protests. Miscreants set fire to a public bus belonging to Boishakhi Paribahan in Shymoli area of the capital on Monday. Additionally, similar incidents were reported in Naogaon, Dinajpur, and Kishoreganj districts involving arson attacks on buses and trucks.
In a related development, Nurul Haque Noor, president of a faction of Gonoadhikar Parishad, criticized the ruling Awami League during a rally in Purana Paltan area.
He accused the government of gambling with the country's politics and emphasized the public's opposition to an election model resembling that of Cambodia.
Noor urged the administration to adopt a neutral stance in support of the ongoing struggle against fascism.
Amidst the blockades, an increased number of vehicles were observed on the roads in the capital.
However, only a few long-route buses operated from Sayedabad, Mohakhali, and Gatoli inter-district bus terminals on Monday.
Law enforcement agencies, including the police and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), maintained a vigilant presence at various city intersections and important locations to prevent any untoward incidents of violence during the protests.
The BNP, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, and allied parties continue their movement to press for demands, including the annulment of the election schedule, immediate government resignation, and the conduct of parliamentary polls under a neutral caretaker administration.
talhabinhabib@yahoo.com