BNP office cordoned off, govt behind violence: Rizvi

The BNP has blamed the ruling party activists for the violence during its daylong nationwide shutdown today (Monday). Police have cordoned off the BNP headquarters in Dhaka’s Naya Paltan since Monday morning. Party’s Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi alleged the government was trying to thwart their ‘peaceful hartal’. ‘The government is torching vehicles and putting the blame on us,’ Rizvi claimed at a press briefing in Naya Paltan on Monday. The BNP and its allies have been enforcing the genaral strike acrossing the country from 6am protesting the denial of permission for their Gazipur rally and demanding release of their leaders, according to a news agency.