BNP threatens non-stop strikes

The beleaguered Bangla-desh Nationalist Party (BNP) threatened to go for indefinite general strike alongside its ongoing non-stop countrywide blockade unless the government restored the severed internet, cable and telephone services to the party chairperson's Gulshan office.
A statement issued on Sunday evening by party joint secretary-general Salah Uddin Ahmed carried the unspecified ultimatum.
"Internet, telephone, cable networks and all electric communications have not been restored yet. Uninterrupted hartal and blockade would be continued if these are not restored immediately," the statement reads.
The party called upon the people to make the ongoing hartal and blockade a success to what it said "oust the illegal government" for ensuring a free and fair election.
Dhaka Electric Supply Company (Desco) Limited snapped electricity line to Khaleda Zia's office early Saturday in a government move to mount pressure on the BNP chief to leave the office and call off the ongoing blockade.
The steps came hours after shipping minister's threat. The government resumed the power supply after 19 hours amid gales of criticism.
Cable and internet, land/mobile-phone connections were also disconnected in phases between 8:00am and 3:38pm Saturday, party sources said.
The government made the move to leave Khaleda incommunicado inside the office hours after the BNP-led alliance on Friday evening called a 72-hour hartal from Sunday morning coinciding with the ongoing blockade.
Khaleda Zia has been staying in her Gulshan political office since January 3. Earlier, she had been confined to the office for more than two weeks in the name of stepping up her security.
As the government did not allow her to hold a planned gathering on January 5, Khaleda called the countrywide blockade, which turned violent sporadically.
In a latest development, police picked up BNP chairperson's adviser Mosaddeq Ali Falu from the Gulshan office on Sunday evening.     
Mr Falu was held while he was coming out from the party chief's office at around 7:55pm, a source in the party office told the FE.  He was whisked to the Detective Branch office.
The DB office could not confirm when he would be produced before the court until the filing of the report at around 9:00 pm.
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