Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN)– The BNP-led 20-party alliance on Saturday called a countrywide demonstration instead of general strike for Sunday amid its ongoing blockade.

The fresh programmes were announced through issuing a statement signed by BNP joint secretary general Barkat Ullah Bulu.

As per the programmes, the 20-party alliance will hold countrywide agitation processions on Sunday alongside the ongoing blockade, demanding what it said “safe return of the party’s missing leaders including joint secretary general Salahuddin Ahmed”.
The alliance will also bring out protest processions at all divisional, district, upazila and municipality headquarters tomorrow to press home their demands, according to the press statement. The agitation is also aimed at protesting what the combine said “the wholesale arrests and killings of the party leaders and activists.”

The opposition combine enforced eight consecutive spells of strike amid the non-stop blockade on working days — from 6:00am Sunday to 6:00 am Friday — from February 1 till 6am on March 25 giving a 12-hour pause on March 10 for celebrating the victory of Bangladesh Cricket Team over England.

The alliance used to call a 72-hour strike from Sunday every week and then extend it by 48 hours more ending at 6:00 am Friday. However, it did not extend the strike last week.

BBN/SSR/AD-28Mar15-8:33 pm (BST)