Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN)-The BNP-called 72-hour countrywide strike in Bangladesh which is due to end Wednesday morning was extended till 6:00pm Thursday.
Salahuddin Ahmed, the joint secretary of BNP, made the announcement on behalf of the BNP-led 20-party alliance Tuesday afternoon.
The BNP had called the ongoing 72-hour general strike Friday protesting a minister’s statement. The shutdown was scheduled to end at 6:00am Wednesday.
The strike will continue along with the prevailing non-stop blockade to protest the “false” cases against alliance leaders and activists including BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir; forced disappearance and killing of party leaders and activists; government’s interference over the media and judiciary, the statement added.
Earlier on February 1, the BNP threatened the government with enforcing a non-stop strike if the mobile network, internet and cable television connections to BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office are not restored immediately.
Bangladesh has been witnessing a 72-hour general strike since 6:00am Sunday along with a non-stop blocked enforced from January 5.
Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan allegedly threatened Khaleda on Friday saying that if the BNP chief does not withdraw the non-stop blockade before the SSC examinations, the electricity and the water supply lines to her Gulshan office will be disconnected.
In the face of the strike, the government has already deferred the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and its equivalent examinations to February 4.
The SSC examinations are scheduled to begin from February 2.
On the other hand, the party is enforcing the non-stop roads and waterways blockade coupled with frequent strike demanding a fresh election.
The alliances also protest the confinement of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia at her party Gulshan office and arrest of party leaders and activists.
More than 19 hours after severing the electricity service to Khaleda’s Gulshan office, the Bangladesh government restored it Saturday.
Dhaka Electric Supply Company Limited (DESCO), the state-owned power supply company, had disconnected the power connection to the house of Khaleda, a former premier of the country, around 2:45am without showing any legal reason.
The BNP chief has been staying in her Gulshan office since January 3.
More than six hour after severing the power line, the authorities concerned disconnect the cable, internet and telephone services and also jammed the mobile phone network to Khaleda’s office.
DESCO disconnected the electricity line to Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan office on instruction of top authorities of Gulshan Police, Moksed Ali, a lineman of the DESCO, told reporters without elaborating the incident.
Khaleda called the blockade after she was barred from coming out of her Gulshan office on January 5.
BNP said its party chief was “confined” but the government denied the allegation though it had put additional law enforcers and sand-laden trucks in front of Khaleda’s office.
The government however removed the security barriers after 16 days on January 19.
So far, at least 50 people, mostly innocent, were killed and dozens including law enforcers injured in the mindless act of arson and petrol bomb attacks across the country during the blockade and strike.
Hundreds of vehicles were also torched and vandalised during the political agitation.
BBN/SSR/AD-3Feb15-3:20pm (BST)
