BNP, allies call dawn-to-dusk hartal today
Sunday, 27 June 2010
FE Report
The main opposition is set to observe a general nationwide dawn-to-dusk hartal today (Sunday) in protest of what it said the failures and misrule of the government.
The strike - the first of its kind at the national level in the last three years - has been called by Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in demand of an end to ongoing power-gas-water crises and deterioration of law and order, and ensuring freedom of press.
The Sunday's hartal is also the first against the 16-month old grand coalition government led by Awami Leage since it swept to power in December 2008.
The opposition has urged people to observe the dawn-to-dusk hartal, which has been termed a "note of caution" to the government.
BNP and its allies have wrapped up their preparations for a successful hartal, said BNP's Office Secretary Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Saturday.
The main opposition's long-time allies Jamaat-e-Islami, Bangladeshi Jatiya Party and Islami Oikya Jote have already endorsed the hartal and will observe the programme.
BNP Chairperson and Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia announced the general strike from a rally on May 19 in Dhaka.
The vehicles of six emergency service providers, including medical service and the media, will not be under the purview of the strike, confirmed Rizvi while talking to reporters.
He said the vehicles that will be outside the purview of the hartal include those of the press and media, ambulance, cars carrying physicians, vehicles carrying dead bodies, and fire service and gas-water-power vehicles.
The secretary asked the party leaders and activists to cooperate with people responsible for providing emergency services and maintenance duties during the hartal.
The main opposition, however, will not enforce the strike in flood-hit areas in Sylhet and Moulvibazar.
The exemption comes as Disaster Management Minister Abdur Razzaque called on BNP Wednesday to stay away from observing hartal at least in flood-affected Sylhet.
Meanwhile, the government said although it has no plans to confront the pickets during the dawn-to-dusk shutdown, it would not tolerate anarchy or disorder in the name of hartal.
"The government will strictly oppose any attempts to create anarchy and disorder. It is the government's responsibility to protect the people and their assets," State Minister for Law Qamrul Islam said at a meeting in the city.
He alleged that BNP called the strike to create unrest and obstruct the war crimes trial. "The opposition is getting frantic to stop the trial of the war criminals of 1971. They are taking different strategies to divert the people's attention from the trial."
The government will deploy 10,000 law enforcers in the capital to maintain law and order during the shutdown.
The police, however, would not resist leaders and activists of the opposition from holding their peaceful programme, said Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner AKM Shahidul Haq.
The main opposition is set to observe a general nationwide dawn-to-dusk hartal today (Sunday) in protest of what it said the failures and misrule of the government.
The strike - the first of its kind at the national level in the last three years - has been called by Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in demand of an end to ongoing power-gas-water crises and deterioration of law and order, and ensuring freedom of press.
The Sunday's hartal is also the first against the 16-month old grand coalition government led by Awami Leage since it swept to power in December 2008.
The opposition has urged people to observe the dawn-to-dusk hartal, which has been termed a "note of caution" to the government.
BNP and its allies have wrapped up their preparations for a successful hartal, said BNP's Office Secretary Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Saturday.
The main opposition's long-time allies Jamaat-e-Islami, Bangladeshi Jatiya Party and Islami Oikya Jote have already endorsed the hartal and will observe the programme.
BNP Chairperson and Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia announced the general strike from a rally on May 19 in Dhaka.
The vehicles of six emergency service providers, including medical service and the media, will not be under the purview of the strike, confirmed Rizvi while talking to reporters.
He said the vehicles that will be outside the purview of the hartal include those of the press and media, ambulance, cars carrying physicians, vehicles carrying dead bodies, and fire service and gas-water-power vehicles.
The secretary asked the party leaders and activists to cooperate with people responsible for providing emergency services and maintenance duties during the hartal.
The main opposition, however, will not enforce the strike in flood-hit areas in Sylhet and Moulvibazar.
The exemption comes as Disaster Management Minister Abdur Razzaque called on BNP Wednesday to stay away from observing hartal at least in flood-affected Sylhet.
Meanwhile, the government said although it has no plans to confront the pickets during the dawn-to-dusk shutdown, it would not tolerate anarchy or disorder in the name of hartal.
"The government will strictly oppose any attempts to create anarchy and disorder. It is the government's responsibility to protect the people and their assets," State Minister for Law Qamrul Islam said at a meeting in the city.
He alleged that BNP called the strike to create unrest and obstruct the war crimes trial. "The opposition is getting frantic to stop the trial of the war criminals of 1971. They are taking different strategies to divert the people's attention from the trial."
The government will deploy 10,000 law enforcers in the capital to maintain law and order during the shutdown.
The police, however, would not resist leaders and activists of the opposition from holding their peaceful programme, said Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner AKM Shahidul Haq.