Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN)- The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is set to enforce a countrywide dawn-to-dusk general strike on Sunday in protest against the disappearance of the party’s organizing secretary.
The party blamed the government for the ‘disappearance’ of Ilias Ali, also a former MP. He remained missing since Tuesday night.
Components of the BNP-led 18-Party alliance extended their support to the shutdown.
As part of the countrywide programs in protest against Ilias’ disappearance, BNP is scheduled to hold rallies and bring out procession at thana (sub-district) level of the capital as well as in favour of Sunday’s strike.
The BNP in a pre-strike briefing Saturday night said the government had unleashed a ‘reign of terror’ and arrested at least 150 opposition activists in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country.
The party’s joint secretary general Rizvi Ahmed said any attempts to obstruct the democratic right to enforce strike would bring ‘dire consequences’. He claimed that 600 party activists were injured in attacks by police and ‘ruling party goons’ across the country on Saturday.
BBN/SSR/AD-21Apr12-11:57 pm (BST)
